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Report Number 13
MAY 2004
The last few weeks have been even more than usually frantic with the publication of two new books. Bad planning, of course, but that’s the way things happen.
“Village cricket” came out at the beginning of the month and “Death and the Visiting
Fellow” at the end. The cricket book has overshadowed the poor old crime novel which has so far garnered just the one review. Philip Oakes in the Literary Review said that it was “amiable and intelligent but short on pezazz”. I half-feel I should have this on my tombstone and actually take it as a compliment, albeit back-handed, as I think that pezazz is a greatly over-rated commodity and I’m increasingly well-disposed towards the “still small voice of calm”. The publishing industry less so but that, I feel, is their problem.
Sir Christopher Ondaatje was much more enthusiastic, in the same issue of the Literary Review about the cricket book. He is obviously passionate about the game and gave every impression of having really enjoyed the book. There was also an ecstatic review in the
Mail, a so-so one in Wisden Cricketer Monthly, and a singularly pompous and humourless one in the
Sunday Telegraph. Oh more ecstasy from the lovely Michael Williams in the
Cornish Guardian and promises of goodies to come in Country Life, the
Western Morning News and others. My spies tell me that the Oldie, for which I’d have thought it was manna from heaven, want nothing to do with it. Strange old world, funny old game.
I seem to have spent days in the Radio Cornwall studios being interviewed by radio stations in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Bristol and Somerset, Jersey, Northampton…everywhere in fact except Cornwall! I’ve signed in Hatchards and been interviewed by Sandi Toskvig on LBC and Talk Sport (or is it Sport Talk) where the presenters claim a listening figure of six million a week. Nice interview at the Swindon Festival last Saturday but best of all was a Literary Dinner hosted by the Southwell Bookshop and held in the Great Hall of the Minster. The other speakers were Susan Elderkin, who’s on the short-list for the Ondaatje/Royal Society of Literature Prize and David Kennard, the sheep-farmer, whose video and book about him and his dogs have been stunning best-sellers. There was a sell-out audience of 117 and a waiting list but the really good thing about it was the efficiency and friendliness of everything down to the special “Soiree Literaire” labels on the wine which we were all given as leaving presents. These events can be intimidating and soul-less but this was a shining exception and a model of its kind. Other organizers please note.
Meanwhile life goes on, or doesn’t. A great sadness was the death of Derek Jarrett, an exceptionally influential and much-loved history teacher. I did an obit which the Independent printed but signally failed to work him into the
Times or Telegraph (a bad reflection on both papers I think, especially the
Telegraph who gave signs of extraordinarily inappropriate pettiness). I did a short eulogy at the crematorium, despite being disconcerted by the officiating vicar, who warned me not to press any buttons at the lectern. Had I done so poor Derek would have rolled away prematurely. Melancholy occasion, of course, but it was good to see his former pupils so well represented and also to meet two of his former tutorial partners from Keble. His widow Betty and two daughters plus families were all humblingly brave but it was still sad. I was just glad though that I’d got to know him all over again and seen quite a lot of him in recent years.
Weidenfeld and Nicolson have made an offer for a possible biography but the indefatigable Michael Motley is trying to negotiate more money – the original suggestion represents near starvation wages! Watch
this space. I also had a St. George’s Day piece in the Sunday Express thanks to the good offices of the tireless Tamsin Barrack, the publicist at Time Warner Books and did a Prince Philip obituary interview for Sky Television. My Cornish letter appeared in High Life, eliciting responses from British Airways travellers all over the world and a thank-you from Ray Curtis, our local taxi-driver, who got an honourable mention in the piece.. An old Oxford friend called Chris Meakin has ambitious plans for a new travel magazine and we have met to discuss how I might help. Chris envisages me being responsible for
a section of the new magazine, little realizing what an eccentric editor I am.
“Death and the D’urbervilles” has, perforce, taken a bit of a back seat but really is, finally, limping to a conclusion. I even managed a couple of days at Lord’s to see Middlesex v Surrey. One with Hugh Massingberd and the other with my sons, Alexander and Tristram. Hugh and I were almost thrown out of the (virtually empty) Press Centre (“Have you two gentlemen got authorization to come in here?”); Tristram was charged a tenner to enter the ground despite the fact that the match was practically over; and the Tavern Bar where I’d arranged to meet was completely closed. Plus ca change. Oh and there was no sign of my book in the shop. I pulled rank subsequently and wrote to Charles Fry, the current President. It transpires that they had ordered copies but had sold out. Charles has very kindly said I can have a signing session on a Test Match day which is good. Well played the Old Boy Network.
We are now girding ourselves for the du Maurier festival next week. Four (!) events, friends from Hong Kong, dinners, drinks and all the fun of the Fair.
Tim Heald
May 2004
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