James' Weblog

I wrote a story last year for a compilation called York Tales. I made the mistake of thinking that this was a serious literary event in which Chaucer would be reinterpreted for a modern audience. Consequently I went at great pains to give a modern parable that drew heavily upon an original story. This was not the publisher’s incentive. For them it was just about writing a story in a city, throwing in a couple of street names, and then putting a Chaucer quote in for good measures. This superb money spinner has now extended with three more titles for BRISTOL, TYNESIDE and GLASGOW. Lots of the authors from the original York Tales put forward submissions, perhaps the lure of two free copies of your own work and no money was attractive? Needless to say I didn’t bother, I would prefer to write a story and put it in a neighbours wheelie bin. But, and there always is one, it looks like Radio 4 may pick up the whole TALES series for some programming next year, or early in 2007, which ‘is very exciting.’ This may be more than hot air as one of the judges was an executive at Radio Four. But like everything we will have to see. Either way I doubt my story – which sees an annoying male cellophaned naked to a chair by his frustrated partner – will translate well to the airwaves. I doubt that there will be a Nottingham version of the series as it does not have a Borders, and it is this particular bookshop which has been hosting the York related events.