Events and Meetings in 2003-2004

The first meeting of the group of readers took place in Waverton Village Hall on 24th September 2003.

 

The second public meeting of WGR was held in the Village Hall on 19th November 2003. The poet Harry Owen (Cheshire's current Poet Laureate) gave a reading of some of his work, supported by Carol Archer who read some local children's poetry.

 

The third meeting was held on Wednesday 4th February at Waverton Village Hall at 8pm. The crime novelist Margaret Murphy spoke on "The Police Inspector, the Crook, the Mortuary Technician and the Writer" - a light-hearted look at her research with readings from her novels (such as Weaving Shadows and Darkness Falls). This meeting was very well attended by more than 30 people. The long list of 24 books to go to the next round was agreed at this meeting.

Readers' comments in 2003/4 included:

"No disillusion with 'Dissolution', a superb whodunnit. Excellent insight into the dissolution activities. The writing appears almost contemporaneous." [Dissolution]

"An ideal book for holiday reading. High feel-good factor. Amusing ..." [Spencer's List]

"Carol@domesticgoddess.com made me feel superior - I really don't think any mother could be that bad!" [Don't Try This at Home]

"I loved the way the theme of colour ran through the book. I would recommend it to others. [Astonishing Splashes of Colour]

"Life is full of surprises - I never did like Esther Rantzen, but I have to admit she's written a great 'who dunnit'!" [Secret Life]

"If this is Jamaica, give me a sexy weekend in Stoke on Trent." [What Goes Round]

"The author's background research seems extremely thorough, but he parades his knowledge to the detriment of the flow of the text" [Dissolution]

"Many people have read part of 'The Faerie Queen' and 'Paradise Lost'. Very few have read all of either of these texts. I am one of the very few who has read all of Family Bites. This puts me into another category altogether! [Family Bites]

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The fourth meeting for 2003/4 was held on Wednesday 31st March in Waverton Village Hall. Tony Saint, one of the long-listed novelists, spoke entertainingly about his experiences as an immigration officer on which his book Refusal Shoes is based. After listening to Tony many of us will never walk through immigration at Manchester airport with confidence again.

Tony Saint and the paperback cover of Refusal Shoes

At this meeting the long list was reduced to a short list of five books to be circulated throughout the village.

A prize was awarded for the best pottery design based on one of the novels. Our thanks to Creation Station at Malpas for letting us play with their ceramic paints! Carol Archer was the winner with her plate inspired by Timolean Vieta Come Home.

Readers' comments in 2003/4 included:

"Brilliant! Wonderful research combined with own life experiences. portrayed the horrific persecution of the Jews during World War 2 and the lifelong impact on the survivors. The plot is complex but maintains the sensitivity and realism of the situation throughout." [The Sixth Lamentation]

"I found this more frightening than funny - I just hope it's more fiction than fact." [Refusal Shoes]

"A fascinating story-line (till the last few pages) but it's a pity he revels in the more unpleasant sides of Indian, Anglo-Indian (and to some extent British) society." [The Impressionist]

"I found the gay sex scenes distasteful. The story of the dog was heart-rending." [Timolean Vieta Come Home]

"I found this book had a deceptively simple style which was covering complex emotions and attitudes." [The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time]

"I read this one very quickly as it was hard to put down." [The Cutting Room]

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