I spent this morning in Wendy’s beautiful study sat by a heart-and-body-warming ( I hate this cold) coal fire in the company of Richard W. Hardwick reading and recording an in-conversation for Wendy Robertson’s Writing Game. Wendy, Richard and I have a lot in common, firstly being writers and secondly having all worked in prison.
Richard is still working as a writing tutor in HMP Frankland. For the March programme he read from his latest work, Andalucia which is a memoir he was prompted to write with some urgency when his partner Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer. The extract he chose describes a creative writing class in the prison where the tutor encourages his writers to conjure sense pictures, smells, sounds; until it starts to rain. They hear the rain on the roof and all migrate to the window where they begin to talk about what’s outside, about walking in the rain, about feeling grass under their feet….I loved it.It was elegant and restrained and honestly and beautifully written, reflecting as it did the interior life of the prisoner: his struggle for normality and his instinct for survival.
If you’d like to listen in to the readings and our conversation about prisons and about self publishing then the programme goes out on the first Sunday in March at midday. The podcast will be available sometime soon after. In the meantime if you want to listen to any of the podcasts the link is as above or the i-tunes link is on my sidebar. I think my favourite to date is the in-conversation with world renowned children’s author David Almond but there are so many fascinating programmes .. Do let me know which is your favourite….
Thank you Avril. And must I say you read your short story beautifully, absolutely beautifully – and it was brilliantly constructed in the first place too (which must have helped!). ‘Pink Passion’ it was called; tender, humorous, poignant and quite tremendous.
A lovely morning in the company of yourself and Wendy. I wish you didn’t live so far away, down there in County Durham.
I forgot to remind Wendy about one thing, and then reading this brought it back to mind. Although my full name is Richard Walker-Hardwick my writing name is Richard W Hardwick. It’s not unusual for people to forget or get it wrong though.
Until next time – with thanks, Richard x
Hi Richard – have put the Richard W thing right – It’s not unsual for people to get my name wrong either as they like to call me Joy. Thanks for your lovely comments about my reading – look forward to hearing the programme when Wendy has worked her magic!
It was a great morning – so good to spend time with like-minded people. I often think that only other writers share my slightly insane view of the world. Both readings were great – the same only different, as my mother would say – great truths expressed subtly in great words – the same only different. Now all I have to do is to edit two hours of marvellous writing and wonderful conversation down to fifty six minutes for the programme,.. Thank you Avril and Richard for a great morning,