Artist Sabine T (http://www.wix.com/sabine_t/art-and-illustration) has kindly agreed to allow me to use her artwork "Daphne" as an illustration and potential cover for my debut novel "I Am a Muse". If the book ever gets published, then this composition should, must, has to be the cover.

This surrealist take on the female body encompasses numerous topics I tackle in the novel. There is actually one scene in which one of the main characters, Alda Thunberg, looks on with horror at her ageing, semi-naked body and thinks it is turning into a tree. Moreover, the presence of the eyes in the roots of the tree on the artwork recall the ones present within the paintings by the deceased artist whose presence is "haunting" the novel.

Incredibly, Sabine hadn't read the novel when she worked on her artwork. And I had never seen this image when I wrote the manuscript. This is just pure coincidence... 

Or is it?
You can see Sabine's artwork on the "I Am a Muse" page of this website: I Am a Muse

Err... Whenever I find the time (the intro was pretty good, though)... So.

TRYING TO READ...

"The Beekeeper's Apprentice" by Laurie R. King

And yes, I've just found it in a charity shop and therefore have bought yet another book... But it wasn't the only one... More on this later.


I am trying to get back to the computer after five days mostly away from it... Being outside was quite nice...

I don't find this website design very professional or inspiring. I know I should have gone for wordpress but I don't want to change website now, with all those blogs I've written.

I will try and play around with Weebly templates in the next few days.

Part 2 of The Book of Thoth is going well, not like my literary agent search... Still not enough ink to send submissions. My own fault.

Here is a wonderful, articulate, passionate intervention by Kevin Spacey on why art in all its forms matters in society.

I am a culture vulture who passionately believes that art and creativity is what separates us from animals. I believe art, the arts to be THE most important thing in society. A lot of people would disagree with me, but I don't care. I won't nudge!

Art is what has kept me alive, literally. It is a long story... But I will be eternally thankful to books, paintings, music, plays, movies for having made my life better, every minute of evry hour of every day.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42441573#42441573

Part 2 of the "Book of Thoth" is under way, it is going slowly but nicely. I have almost the whole structure of the part sorted, with precise scenes I'd like to include...
Today and tomorrow, I will be writing a weird dream sequence. Yay!

Last week, I wrote a scene set on board a Tube train and tried to make it feel mysterious, but I am not sure it worked... After all, what's less sexy and mysterious than a crowded, stinking Tube carriage? I think this bit will need serious re-working at second draft stage...

I am enjoying writing the Book of Thoth enormously. Whereas "I Am a Muse" is set in today's world, the Book of Thoth is another proposition alltogether. Not to say that I didn't enjoy writing I Am a Muse, on the contrary. It is a story I had in me for a while and it felt good to put it to paper.

I will try and write a first synopsis type thing for this website.

The deadline for the Book of Thoth is December 2011. It will probably take three drafts just as I Am a Muse did.

I am still thinking about adding some illustrations to the book, I would love to collaborate with Sabine T Art (http://www.wix.com/sabine_t/art-and-illustration) once again after our 2010 exhibition together.
I am hoping to use one of her artwork for the cover of I Am a Muse, which I will be posting here soon.

I am also still thinking about self-publishing my poetry book "Dysfunctions", with a cover designed by Matt ArtPix (http://www.wix.com/mattartpix/vintage) and the rest of the pages set in simple, minimalist black and white.

I have been up since 6am to help Matt ArtPix (http://www.wix.com/mattartpix/vintage and http://mattartpix.blogspot.com/) with his stall at the Essex Vintage Vogue fair. My feet bloody hurt now, but I won't need them tomorrow when I resume work on The Book of Thoth...

I have now posted a short extract of Part 1 of the Book of Thoth in the section titled "The Book of Thoth" on this very website.

I am now working on Part 2, and I am hoping to be able to work on it in earnest in the next few days.

I have to admit it: I sometimes miss London. I have lived in the capital from 1998 to 2009 - with a stint in Oxford, of all places, for a bit more than a year... [I have just realised that the previous version of this blog sounded like I had a passion for Oxford! Eek. I hated the place. Once you've had a look at the beautiful buildings, there's nothing left. It's hollow, boring... And the people... THE PEOPLE! I am not too much into stereotyping but it is a WEIRD  place full of weird people - I mean weird according to my very own standards, which are probably not yours at all... My weird is probably your acceptable and vice versa.]

I've always had a weird passion for the place: London, the legendary city... Anything can happen there, or not. I tackle this in my books.

I left London because it is impossible for one average person to live in decent conditions there. I also wanted to try and live as a freelance, write, etc. something that is impossible in London if you don't have rich parents or a banker husband or something similar.

The city is changing, faster than ever. Whole chunks of Camden, Soho and the East End have been or are being flattened up, music venues are disappearing off, and London looks more and more like it is on its way to become a playground for extremely rich and spoilt foreigners oblivious to the staggering history of the metropolis.
Despite all of that, London still excites and intrigues me and I always feel home when I go back. Living 50mn from the City of London has got its advantages...

I was in London for two days in order to get my fill of culture...

On Friday evening, I went to the incredibly hot (as in TOO MUCH HEATING) Dublin Castle in Camden to attend the Gala night organised by brand new independent imprint Ignite Books. It has been created by Joolz Denby, "poet, novelist, artist, spoken-word artist, tattooist, band manager, photographer and curator" and Steve Pottinger. This was the second of two official launch nights, the other one having taken place the day before in Bradford. It featured music from Mik and Matt, two third of Joolz-managed young and psychedelic Bradford band NYAAA (new York Alcoholic Anxiety Attack) and Joolz's long term companion, New Model Army frontman Justin Sullivan.

The first book released on the Ignite Books press is Joolz's "The Curious Mystery of Miss Lydia Larking and the Widow Marvell":

It was a lovely, friendly, laid-back night with a lot of humour, some beautiful poetry and wonderful music.
Joolz and Justin have been working as artists for 30 years now and have stayed true to themselves. Their fiercely independent, uncompromising lives and works should be applauded as an inspiration. For me, they are among the true National Treasures.
Here is a little video of Joolz Denby reading her fabulous poem "Saddleworth", accompanied by Justin on guitar.

On Saturday, it was off to the National Portrait Gallery and a joined ticket affair (£12!) for the Ida Kar and Hoppe exhibitions. An afternoon filled with wonderful Black and White images. Inspiring.

Ida Kar:
http://www.npg.org.uk/index.php?id=7057