As you can see my 2020 vision board had an image of a publishing contract on it. When I cut out all those pictures I was drawn to and assembled them into a reflection of what was most important to me at the beginning of the year I was pretty confident I’d have my novel completed and hoped that, by the end of 2020, I would have found an agent and a publisher. Well, 2020 has been a beast hasn’t it and like many people I’ve not found it easy to write. My brain has been totally full of making sure the staff at the theatre I work for are taken care of the best we can and giving extra care to staff who are navigating the weight of challenging racial inequality for the first time. I feel terrible I haven’t finished my book but I’d feel even worse if I hadn’t done my best by all my work colleagues. So I haven’t quite finished my book and so I haven’t been able to send it out to agents and so there is no book deal for me.
But, ha ha! Somewhere inside my sensible head I thought that contributing to an anthology would be a great step towards a good book deal, and it seems the Universe agrees. I am so very, very happy to be contributing to Common Gossip, an anthology of working class women. The anthology, to be published in 2021 [insert happy dance] will be launched at the new Festival for Working Class Writers taking place in Bristol as part of the cities annual Festival of Ideas. Natasha Carthew who is curating the book and the writers festival is hoping to shine a spotlight on working class women writers who are underrepresented at other book events.
I had a check in with Natasha last week, got my submission deadline and word count and a list of the other writers, poets, journalists and academics contributing to the book including my very own fairy godmother Kerry Hudson and I’m beyond excited.
SO I THINK I DO HAVE A PUBLISHING CONTRACT, not the one I thought I’d have but one that I am incredibly proud of and exited by because I absolutely love anthologies. This year anthologies and short story collections have saved me, there have been so many times that I just can’t concentrate on a whole novel and short stories and essays give me a sense of completeness and accomplishment and wonder. Wonder because to tell a story to present a personal reflection in around 2000 words is brilliant.
At the moment I am reading New Daughters of Africa (available from your local independent bookshop). I’d been putting off buying this book until it came out in paperback, it has now and to mark that the London Library organised reading and discussion with some of the contributors of this landmark anthology which celebrates the work of 200 women of African decent. The reading was one of the best ever and I ordered the book straight away. It’s been a long time since I fell head over heels in love with a book. The stories and essays are by women who look like me, a whole big fat book, its nearly 1000 pages, can you imagine? I literally carry the book around with me so I can always see it, its like having your best cheerleaders and girl gang with you at all times. Whatever your happiest thing ever is, this is that book for me.
I can’t wait to do my 2021 vision board!