Lisa Jewell: Diary March 2009

Diary

March 2009

Evie, February 2009, not a fan of snow

Usually I see the writing of my quarterly updates as a luxuriously legitimate excuse not to write my book for a day or two. Not this quarter. I am 270 pages into what I originally expected to be a 350 page book but as I approach my deadline at an alarming rate of knots (I have eight weeks to complete it) it is becoming increasingly apparent that it will be MUCH LONGER than that. So I am haring through it, writing like a demon and do not even have time to perform unnecessary eBay searches or chat to my sister on the phone between the hours of ten thirty and three. So this diary entry comes to you from my desk – after dark. Yes, I am sacrificing GRAND DESIGNS to keep this page up to date and fill you in on all my news. I hope you all appreciate it!

Unlike last quarter, I have actually done some, you know, stuff. Christmas happened. At least I think it did. I cannot tell you how long ago it feels right now. Amelie appeared as ‘A Dancer’ in her school’s nativity play and I blubbed, not during her brilliant and very professional song and dance routine, but during the reception year’s turn; little chubby, wide-eyed people in their angel costumes. I could not believe that only a year earlier it had been my little girl up there in a tinsel halo. It was a real reminder of how quickly it's all going. I soothed myself with the thought that in three years time I will have another little angel on that stage. But after that ... no more angels. God, this is exactly why those women you see on the telly keep on having babies!


Amelie on a post-performance high after her school Nativity December 2008	Amelie, plus very cute sheep, school Nativity December 2008

Christmas Day was completely brilliant, the best one ever, I would say. It was at our house and we had my middle sister and her family, my parents-in-law, my brother-in-law and his wife, so a really full house and loads of kids all over the place. But the BEST THING about my Christmas Day was that my sister’s husband did all the cooking. And all the shopping. Yes, all of it. Canapés, starters, a remarkable organic turkey, absolutely all the trimmings, Fortnum and Mason’s pud, cheeses from La Fromagerie; a truly deeee-luxe affair. All I had to do was keep everyone’s glasses topped up with champagne and fill up bin bags with wrapping paper. It was fantastic, and could possibly become a yearly tradition!


My dad (Guff) with two of his most beautiful granddaughters Christmas Day 2008	Me and Evie Christmas Day 2008

Jascha’s brother, Seb, my sister’s dog, Scout and Seb’s wife Mabel Christmas Day 2008	My brother-in-law, Lee, aka The Chef Christmas Day 2008

Jascha’s dad guy and my sister's dog Scout Christmas Day 2008	Everyone, except me Christmas Day 2008

Evie and Mabel Christmas Day 2008	My nephew Oliver posing with the Fortnum’s pud Christmas Day 2008

Three days into the New Year I had a team of people from Red magazine to my house to shoot a three page spread for their magazine called This Life. There was a photographer, a stylist, hair and make-up, a picture editor and the features editor, not to mention the childminder looking after my children. I felt like a blooming celebrity! In the midst of all that a man from Thames Water came to test our drinking water, heaven knows what he must have made of it all. The feature is out in this month’s Red magazine (the one with Laura Bailey on the cover) and I am really, really pleased with it.

At the end of January I threw on a cocktail dress, doused myself in diamonds and swanned off to the Park Lane Intercontinental Hotel to judge the final prize of the Costa Book Awards. I was collected from my house at four o’clock in the afternoon, in full evening dress, which was slightly embarrassing, I have no idea what the neighbours might have thought. After a quick group photo, we were given champagne (yes! At 4.30 in the afternoon! Decadence!) and left to get to know each other. The panel was a real mix, from celebrities like Alexander Armstrong and Rosamunde Pike, to the famous poet, Roger McGough (proudly sporting his CBE medal), broadcasters like Andrea Catherwood and Michael Buerk and fellow novelists Pauline McLynn and Victoria Hislop (who was utterly lovely). At five o’clock we were taken to the judging room and Matthew Parris oversaw a really very interesting session. There were five books up for consideration. I had already made my mind up before we went in which one I wanted to win, and although it was a very close thing I was delighted when it finally did. What happened next was rather unexpected. Matthew, having been briefed by everyone on the panel to mention what a close run thing it had been when he did his press conference afterwards, not only told the world what a close run thing it had been, but also how half the panel hadn't really liked the book that won and thought it deeply flawed. There was a blaze of controversy in the papers over the next few weeks questioning whether it was unfair or refreshingly honest to give away a literary prize so ambivalently! I had my say in the Daily Telegraph and was pleased to be given a chance to let the world know that not everyone in that room had had so many doubts about the winner.


Me and The Panel in the judging room moments after reaching our decision Intercontinental Hotel, W1, January 2009	Jenny Colgan, Jascha and Jojo Moyes Intercontinental Hotel, W1, January 2009

Jojo Moyes and Mike Gayle Intercontinental Hotel, W1, January 2009	Me and Jascha Intercontinental Hotel, W1, January 2009

On Valentine’s Day, I DID NOT enjoy a romantic supper with my beloved, but I DID go to a small private viewing of my friend Maddy Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella)’s new movie Confessions of a Shopaholic at the Disney head offices in Hammersmith. Yes, you see, now this is why you come to my website! Proper, glam, writer-y stuff! We were greeted with Cosmopolitans and extraordinary French Fancies adorned with glittery red heels and shopping bags. Maddy gave a really moving speech after the screening and all the authors in the audience (which was made up of friends and family, including Maddy's three small sons) felt a kind of glorious vicarious thrill; it is such a dream for any writer to see their work made into film, and on such a grand, block-busting scale, it was quite overwhelming. Luckily Maddy is so down to earth, modest and charming that it is impossible to feel jealous of her success – she deserves every moment of it. Oh, and the film was brilliant too.

Snow in the garden


This was Evie's first experience of snow. No like it, as Evie would say February 2009	The communal garden February 2009

At least someone's having fun, Amelie in the garden February 2008	Evie, twenty minutes later, still not having fun February 2008

And since then? Well, just work, work, work. My new book comes out on the 4th April and everyone at my publishers is gearing themselves up for publication. I have my Box of Books (authors are contractually entitled to a dozen or so copies of every book they have published) and any day now the reviews will start trickling in and then – gulp – the sales figures. Oh my Lord, how nerve-wracking! This is, of course, my first book with my new publishers and not only that but it is quite a departure for me in terms of themes and style. Only time will tell whether or not everything has come together to make it a success, but I am employing lots of Positive Mental Attitude and hoping for the best. To whet your appetites, here’s a little treat – the first three chapters! (Just click on the book jacket to open it up!

Spring in the garden


Amelie and daffodil March 2009	Spring crocuses March 2009

Evie March 2009	Amelie March 2009

As for my work in progress, the Ralph’s Party sequel, well, I'm even more nervous about that. Ralph and Jem, after ten years together, are having a bit of a rocky time right now. I couldn't quite see the point of writing about them as a happily married couple, but seeing them as unhappy as they currently are on page two hundred and seventy two is quite sad and am worried that fans of the original will feel a bit depressed by it all. Having said that, when have I ever written a book with a sad ending?! I will deliver in May, a day or two short of Evie's second birthday, and then I will just feel quietly sick until I hear back from my editor. Hideous, just hideous, and no, eight books down the line this bit of the job DOES NOT GET ANY EASIER!

On a much lighter note and talking of Evie, my girls are absolutely fantastic right now. Amelie is still behaving beautifully and as it has now been a year since the last time she was, er, challenging, I'm feeling it's almost safe to say that ... actually, no, that’ll just jinx it. She is doing brilliantly at school and is a joy to have around the place at home. And she has told me that when she's an adult she’ll be a children’s writer. I wouldn't be at all surprised. Evie on the other hand is hurtling towards her Terrible Twos and oh, don’t we just know it! She is a terror! But thankfully she is also disarmingly charming, ludicrously friendly, incredibly funny and madly affectionate. Oh, and she is talking properly, in sentences (mainly things like: ‘I want a treat, mumma, want a treat, want a choc-la egg, mumma!’ rather than anything more cerebral!). They are chalk and cheese, different in every conceivable way, apart from having VERY STRONG PERSONALITIES. No bland children in this house, that’s for sure!


Come on Barbie let's go party Amelie and Evie watching the Aqua video for Barbie Girl on youtube for the hundredth time January 2009	Did I mention that Evie was on Grade 2 piano? Genius The Biros house March 2009

Amelie outside Hamleys December 2008	Evie inside Hamleys December 2008

Amelie loses her first tooth! I really was unprepared for the excitement that this would bring about December 2008	Evie and her granny Maida Vale Boxing Day 2008

Amelie and Evie sharing a joke February 2009	Me and Evie, Cafe Med, NW8 January 2009

Well, I think that makes up for last quarter’s meagre offerings. Next quarter I will be telling all about how my editor hated the Ralph's sequel, how Melody Browne got slated in the broadsheets and sold five copies and how I have given it all up to spend more time on eBay. Oh, and Evie's second birthday party, too. In the meantime please don't forget to buy your copy of Melody Browne and make sure that all your friends do too, and you can come and catch up with me on a slightly more frequent basis on my new and VERY EXCITING facebook fan page!

Oh, and I nearly forgot: I am doing this on Friday 17th April – please come along, bring a friend, introduce yourselves, it will be a really fun event and I would absolutely love to see some (all? J) of you there. I’ll be sending an e-mail reminder closer to the time, but do pencil it in for now.

Love, as ever, Lisa xxxxx

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