The Silent History

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It’s been a busy week, what with the SI Leeds Literary Prize award ceremony to go to in Ilkley and the start of my new OU course, so I’ve only just found a moment to blog about The Silent History, a new kind of novel written especially for iPad and iPhone, which launched this week.

The story is presented in two forms, Testimonials and Field Reports, and tells the story of a generation of unusual children, their families and the communities that surround them. I am the author of one of the first London field reports and I am really looking forward to visiting the site where it takes place and experiencing my writing as part of the novel as a whole.

The Silent History, available for download from the App Store, is a collaboration between Kevin Moffett (author of Further Interpretations of Real-Life Events and Permanent Visitors), Matthew Derby (author of Super Flat Times), Russell Quinn (co-founder of digital studio Spoiled Milk), Eli Horowitz (former managing editor and publisher of McSweeney’s), and contributors on five continents.

I’m very glad to be a part of this great new project, and I look forward to seeing how it develops.

SI Leeds Literary Prize award evening

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I’ve just returned home after a lovely twenty-four hours when I travelled down by train to the Ilkley Literature Festival with my good friend Sarah. I’ve known Sarah for years and having her there to accompany me to the inaugural SI Leeds Literary Prize award evening helped make the experience even more special.

Bonnie Greer and Margaret Busby opened the evening at the Ilkey Playhouse with a fascinating talk about their own personal histories as writers and some reflections on the publishing world of today and the spaces that Black and Asian writers occupy within it.

Then the prizes were announced, with Minoli Salgado being awarded the winner’s trophy, followed by Karen Onojaife in second place, and Jane Steele and I in joint third.

A high point of the evening for me was being able to hear the other winning writers reading their work aloud. I hope to hear lots more from them and the other shortlisted writers, Katy Massey and Anita Sivakumaran, in the future.

Short-listed for SI Leeds Literary Prize

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An update on the SI Leeds Literary Prize: I found out yesterday that my novel A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing has now made the short-list of six! I’m really looking forward to the award ceremony on 3 October at the Ilkley Literature Festival, and to meeting the other finalists, organisers and judges.

If you want to know more, further information can be found in the blog post below and also on the prize website.

Many thanks to everyone who has been in touch – your support is very much appreciated.

Long-listed for SI Leeds Literary Prize

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Although I had an idea that an announcement would be coming up, the phone call from Soroptimist International took me completely by surprise. I was delighted to learn that my novel A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing had made it into the final twelve manuscripts for the 2012 SI Leeds Prize.

The prize is a new award for unpublished fiction by Black and Asian women resident in the UK, and an initiative of Soroptimist International of Leeds working in partnership with Ilkley Literature Festival and Peepal Tree Press.

I’m so pleased to have been selected along with the other eleven writers, and I look forward to seeing who goes through to the shortlist.

A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing, set in the Japanese city of Ōsaka, draws on my experience of living and working in that country, as well as my own mixed heritage. The stories my late mother used to tell me have been a particular inspiration. If you are interested, you can find out more about my novel by visiting the Writing page of this website.

Literary Death Match pugilist

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I had an amazing time last night taking part in Literary Death Match, London, Episode 27. I was there representing Untitled Books, who recently published the short story from which I read an extract. It was a real pleasure to share the stage with Polly Courtney, Jonathan Lee and Benjamin Wood, who all read fantastic pieces.

The evening’s finale between the literary round winners (Jonathan and me) was a bizarre game of anagrams that involved moving around card-clutching volunteers from the audience so that they spelled out the names of famous authors. Jonathan – clearly much better at puzzles than me – was a deserving winner. I was happy to finish as runner-up.

I enjoyed meeting all of the night’s readers as well as the judges, Dr Brown, Rich Fulcher and Katy Guest, and the fantastic Literary Death Match team.

Short story in Untitled Books

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I’ve been a big fan of Untitled Books ever since the website started, so I’m really happy that my short story “The Picture of Mrs Brewster” appears in Issue 45 this month.

As usual, their June edition features fascinating articles about books and writing, interviews with writers, and short fiction from new and established authors.

Many thanks to Jack Blanchard, Sarah Butler, Ariella Feiner, Emma Claire Sweeney and Wayne Milstead for your encouragement and helpful feedback on early drafts of this piece.

Feature in The Times today

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In celebration of this year’s Orange Prize, The Times is running a feature article on friendships between female writers, written by Emma Claire Sweeney and me.

Emma introducing me at a recent readings event at NYU in London

For this piece, we had the pleasure of travelling out to Ireland to interview Anne Enright (shortlisted this year for The Forgotten Waltz) and her friend Lia Mills. Back in London, we met with Jill Dawson and Louise Doughty, both former Orange nominees who’ve long been a source of support to each other), and also Emily Pedder and Monique Roffey (shortlisted in 2010). These two signed a co-mentoring agreement to keep themselves on track with the writing of their memoirs.

The inspiration for this article grew out of personal experience. Emma and I have been the best of friends since we met, in Japan, over a decade ago. We were working as English teachers in Japanese schools at the time. Separately, we were writing in secret, although we hadn’t yet found the courage to admit our ambitions, even to each other. Since then, we’ve been able to watch each other’s careers progress and we’ve shared in the successes and also the disappointments we’ve experienced so far. It’s been wonderful to talk with other women who’ve relied on each other in similar ways.

Many thanks to Anne, Emily, Jill, Lia, Louise and Monique. Thanks also to Tim Clare and Joe Dunthorne for your insights on a friendship between two male writers. This story is also featured in our piece.

Finally, thanks to Emma herself. Despite the long hours we’ve put into this, working with you has been just as fun as it always is.

Readings event at NYU in London

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I’m really looking forward to reading at the NYU Literary Club’s next event, alongside club members Brianne Baker, Danielle Bergere, Heather Harris and Eunice Pak, and the very talented Edward Hogan, author of the adult literary novels Blackmoor and The Hunger Trace, and the young adult novel Daylight Saving.

Blackmoor has been shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Desmond Elliot Prize, and The Hunger Trace has been sold around the world. Ed is a graduate of the MA creative writing course at UEA and a recipient of the David Higham Award.

This event is being organised by Emma Claire Sweeney and will run from 7 to 8.30pm on 3 May at NYU’s London campus, 6 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3RA. Spaces are free but will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to come, please confirm your attendance by completing your details on-line at

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/litclubs12

I hope to see you there.

At Circle of Missé

~ Emily Midorikawa ~ 1 Comment

I am now almost at the end of a two-week stay at Circle of Missé. Situated in a vine-fronted, stone farmhouse in the Loire region of France, and surrounded by fields and a vast open sky, it’s the ideal setting for getting stuck into a creative project.

Taking a break from writing in the Circle of Missé garden

In my case, this is a novel. In my first week here, my main focus was the Writer Progresses course, which I thoroughly enjoyed teaching. I still managed to fit in about an hour’s writing on most days, though, and since the participants went home, I’ve been able to give my chapters-in-progress a lot more attention.

I’ve been rising early every morning, during that misty-blue cusp between dark and light. With fewer distractions than I’d usually have back at home, I’ve really been able to get on with things. I’ve ironed out several structural problems, tightened up key scenes and discovered new things about my characters.

Coming away on retreat always makes me realise how much of my time is usually taken up with housework and errands, administration, lesson planning and marking deadlines. And although these tasks aren’t even all that bad, it’s a pleasure to have a little break from reality.

The spring sky through the blossom branches

I’ve loved being able to wander out into the garden in the evening, to take in the last sunshine of the day and listen to the thrum of the bees in the wisteria, or to just have the time to sit and think.

Thank you to Aaron, Wayne and Alison for your hospitality, and the usual fine food and company.