MSLEXIA ISSUE 52

contents

’, VA S T E R A S

H O T E L

‘ WO ODP E C K E R

Ididn’t intend for this issue to have a theme, but the more I look at it the more I realise that a particular word keeps cropping up. And the word is ‘truth’. Perhaps it’s because as I started to commission the features I was also finally embarking on reading Don Quixote, about a man unable to discriminate between fiction and reality in a book which looks at the Aristotelian distinction between historical and poetic truth and then nicely (and hilariously) blurs the boundaries.

This issue’s interview subject, Gillian Slovo, seeks truth in memoir and documentary as well as fiction. Novelist Monique Roffey, advising on writing a sex scene, believes that even in fiction we should keep sex ‘real’. And I’ve found that writing the truth about myself, while sometimes getting me into trouble, is something I’ve never regretted. Happy Christmas to all Mslexia readers.

M A R K S

I A

: N A D

LINDA KELSEY worked for over 30 years in magazine publishing, starting as a typist on Good Housekeeping, before going on to edit Cosmopolitan and She, and twice being awarded Magazine Editor Of The Year. Since going freelance almost a decade ago she has written three novels, been a columnist for the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph and recently started a degree at Birkbeck, having dropped out from university first time around. PHO T O

Where do you do most of your writing? ‘In my own study, in a separate building’ Mslexiasurvey, p 21

features Middle-class literature risks coming across as selfindulgent or parodic, but literature about povertystricken lives risks being miserable and preachy VIV GROSKOP, p 9 My advice is to visualise sex and then simply write it down. Who put what where? Who put her or his hand on what part of the other person’s body? MONIQUE ROFFEY, p 15 I’d noticed that whenever any group of artists or writers got together as a group, they did better than if they went on working alone AMANDA CRAIG, p 12 Many submissions dealt with anxieties over doing the right thing as a mother and acute terror at the prospect of something happening to our children KATE FIGES, p 27 I spent my childhood trying to work out, for selfpreservation reasons, what my parents were up to. I think that was about eavesdropping and plotting GILLIAN SLOVO, p 51

Your Mslexia 4 Letters, emails, posts, tweets, blogs What’s new 6 …in the writing world, on the web, in our lives Agenda 9 The case for 4x4 fiction: Viv Groskop examines the prejudice against the middle-class novel Features 12 Step into my salon: Amanda Craig on how (and why) to start a salon for women writers 15 No holds barred: Monique Roffey’s 10 top tips for portraying passion on the page 18 My life stripped bare: Linda Kelsey on confessional journalism Writing life 21 Big question: How do you cope with criticism? Little question: Do you have a ‘room of your own’? 22 Objects of desire 23 Life coach: Bekki Hill helps a writer who can’t get past her second chapter 24 Make a difference: Magic Breakfast,

feeding young minds 25 Make a splash: cultivate contacts Time and money: greetings cards New writing 27 Kate Figes introduces her selection of poetry and prose on the theme of ‘motherhood’ 31 How I did it: Emily Greene Inspiration 43 Fiction masterclass: Jane Rogers on settings 44 What went horribly wrong for Rachel Hore 45 Writing for children aged 13-16: a guide by Sally Gardner 46 The creative mix: writing exercises,

monologue, 4 lines that rhyme, plus advice from crime novelist Tana French 47 Blue pencil by Debbie Taylor Pen portrait 49 Making a poem the Lavinia Greenlaw way; interview by Fiona Sampson Interview 51 Gillian Slovo talks to Danuta Kean Books 55 Books to look out for: Danuta Kean on the trend for spiritual journeys 56 Vox pop: Friern Barnet Public Library What’s Hot: agent Caroline Hardman 57 A book to change your life, by Kate

Williams; Indie Press: Nosy Crow; How I did it: SmokedMeat 58 Book group: TheInvisibleOnes; Poetry and short story reviews 59 What’s new in literary fiction, by

ManBooker judge Susan Hill 60 How to write a bestseller: TheWomanhe

LovedBefore 61 Submitting and subscribing to Mslexia Directory 63 Opportunities: competitions, calls for submissions, grants, courses 68 Out and About: events and workshops in your area And finally 74 Alexandra Schulman’s bedtime reading Mslexiapublication details

Dec/Jan/Feb 2011/12 3