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Alison Gangel The Sun Hasn’t Fallen from the Sky (Bloomsbury 2011)

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AGENDA

8

Funny Girls Funny? Us? Journalist and humorist Jean Hannah Edelstein dissects women, writing and humour – and looks at three types of funny women writers INTERVIEW 13 Jojo Moyes FEATURES 16 Best Laid Plans To what extent should you plot out your new novel? Carolyn Jess-Cooke on planning the details versus following that Muse The Insider: Celia Brayfield 19 Standing Room Only 20 Journalist and standup performer Viv Groskop analyses the growing trend of women-only live events christopher

P H y lis

‘Ultimately, I want to be writing books in ten years.’

Jojo Moyes, Interview, page 13

Regulars Contents: issue 47

STARTERS

Contributors, Letters, News and Views

4

INSPIRATIONS

22

Including: Laura Wilson on crime writing Gabeba Baderoon’s first draft Making a poem: Martha Kapos talks to Colette Bryce Monique Roffey’s bottom drawer, writing your self with Roselle Angwin, keep going with Bekki Hill

NEW WRITING

31

Vicki Feaver introduces her winning selections from the 2010 Mslexia Poetry Competition

BOOKS

Including: How to write a bestseller: The White Queen Literary landmarks: Brick Lane Independent press profile: Bluemoose Books Writers’ bookshelf by Bernadette Strachan

GUIDELINES

The lowdown on sports journalism The joy of…editing

47

57

DIRECTORY

Opportunities: competitions, submissions, retreats, grants Out and About: events and workshops

61

AND FINALLY

Tracey Thorn’s bedside table

74

Turning a new leaf

Autumn’s crept up faster than usual this year, and, quicker than you can say, ‘Hey, what happened to summer?’ we find ourselves putting the final touches to our 2011 Writer’s Diary. Filled with the usual scintillating quotes and reading recommendations from a range of writers, this Diary – produced in conjuction with Virago – also features a unique set of inspirations: contemporary Virago writers on their favourite Virago Classic author. The stellar collection includes Stella Duffy on Janet Frame, Polly Samson on Angela Carter, Sarah Waters on Barbara Comyns and Joan Bakewell on Vera Brittain.

More autumnal excitement: this issue showcases the winners of our 7th annual poetry competition which was judged by the inimitable Vicki Feaver. We’re so pleased and excited for all of the poets published here, and you’ll find that Vicki’s lovely essay offers multiple nuggets of sage feedback, reaction and encouragement.

Also in this issue, our agenda by journalist and writer Jean Hannah Edelstein takes a canny look at women, writing and humour; poet Gabeba Baderoon reveals an early draft of a poem; our cover woman Jojo Moyes shares the joys of Twitter; and songstress Tracey

Thorn tells us what’s on her bedside table.

This issue marks the end of my tenure as the editor of Mslexia. It has been an honour and a privilege to work with so many terrific writers and readers over the past four years – and an enormous amount of fun, too. I’ve enjoyed it tremendously.

Finally, a gigantic thank you goes to my fabulously warm, supportive, inventive, inspiring and highly entertaining Mslexia colleagues, both in and out of the office: you are simply awesome, and I couldn’t have done it without you. Write on!

Daneet Steffens, Editor