My book launch 'speech'

I have had some kind of cold-flu-virus thing that has left me with a very flaky voice. People who know me well know that I am prone to coughing fits, which would make speaking tonight extremely risky! To cancel would have been difficult and disappointing so I decided to go ahead with this plan B in mind. Thank you and many apologies for not being able to speak to you myself. I have handed my notes to the very lovely John Hockley who is West Surrey Rural Communities Officer, has worked with Gypsies and Travellers for around 27 years – and has already read the book!

“Thank you so much for coming. If I had to define my kind of personal paradise, I think some key elements are here tonight – to be surrounded by books and so many people I recognise and a glass of wine! Welcome to everyone, those I know and a few I don’t. Family, friends, neighbours, people from the Travelling community, writers, members of the National Women’s Register (NWR), U3A, the allotment(!), Rushmoor Writers and the novel group, Society of Authors and Windsor Bookswap – and various other local people. Also some Twitter folk I’ve never met before but feel I know quite well! more about some of you later, maybe even mentioning names – this is a ‘hook’ to keep your attention … (dot dot dot !)

As a very young child I would put my hands over my eyes to hide, believing this rendered me invisible. Not that unusual perhaps – even one of our English Setters does the same thing with her paws! But then as a young schoolchild, the day the school photographer was due to arrive I would rush away to hide behind the coats in the cloakroom. Less normal perhaps!! I was very shy. My point is that many writers – and I heard one say the same thing quite recently – take to writing because they feel at an early age that they can be more creative and imaginative on paper than vocally. The irony of this is that once you produce a book, you find yourself constantly having to stand up in front a sea of faces to talk about it!! But tonight makes that an absolute pleasure – except I find myself unable to actually speak! I am so sorry about that.

A quick word about the book then!
Most of you know that my first book, Gypsies Stop tHere, as the title suggests, is something to do with Gypsies stopping, not being allowed to stop and so forth. I think most of you here have read it but if not, you can always read No Gypsies Served first. No problem – they standalone although they are connected. But you are allowed to buy a signed copy of Gypsies Stop tHere tonight as well!
No Gypsies Served, as its title suggests, goes back in time, events of the past throwing light on the present. It takes in also the relationship between Romany or English Gypsies and Irish Travellers, looking at this in historical context – recent history. It tries to answer some bothersome questions. For example: Why is there a mismatch in peoples’ minds between the old traditional romantic picture of a Gypsy in his wagon etc, and the modern image many people have? And how come that that second perception is so far removed from the Gypsies and Travellers I meet at events and in their own homes? Why would most Gypsies and Travellers choose not to live in a house, if they had that choice? Not going to say too much about it now – this is no time for a lecture! I hope the book helps, through entertaining storytelling, to answer questions such as these and more.

Now for the Oscar Bafta bit … the many thank-yous.

Special thanks to: Waterstone’s for making this wonderful gathering possible, for providing and organising when I know they are so short of time. Special thanks to Jan Russell.
Basil Burton, a Romany Gypsy, who at the age of 88 works tirelessly in support of his people and has driven up from deepest Dorset to be here this evening. I do appreciate this. He has helped me along the way checking over what I have written and, fortunately for me, has a very good memory of times gone by!
Other people who helped me in my research – so many not here this evening, eg Prof Thomas Acton, Dr John Coxhead and many other people – you can see who they are, and their comments, in the front of the book and in this leaflet.
John Hockley is here! West Surrey Rural Communities Officer who has worked with the Gypsy and Traveller community for over 25 years. Thank you John, also Ann Wilson and Charmaine Valler from Surrey Community Action, for their help.
My daughter Erica, who by day is a wallpaper designer and producer, but under cover of darkness found time to design both lovely, deceptively simple, covers. You can tell she actually read the books beforehand! I get many complimentary comments about the covers. They are, so they say, all about genre – to help readers gauge what they are going to get. So that it does what it ‘says on the can’. So this was not easy, for my books do not slip easily into a genre – say, romantic fiction, mystery-crime, historical, typical village-type story – yet they contain elements of all of these.
My husband for his support, not least of which is financial since – contrary to popular belief, very few published authors actually make a half-decent living from it. As most people know, writing novels is my retirement project and something that I’ve actually wanted to do from a very young age. Thanks to Steve also for his help with proof-reading and, though I think he still wonders what on earth I am doing up in my study for so many hours; for his regular if not constant reminders to turn off the Internet to save the planet. Probably not easy living with someone writing a novel who, by definition, tends to drift off into another world for long periods of time!
My local writer and reader friends, many of whom are here tonight – for their support by way of both encouragement and criticism, absolutely invaluable prior to publication. Rushmoor Writers and its offshoot the novel group, and my special writer friends. They know who they are!

Thought of changing my surname to ‘Awake Early’ - Awakerly – it has an alarmingly alert ring to it! but would have the added advantage of putting it at the top end of the alphabet on the shop and library bookshelves. With over 100,000 new titles being published every year in the UK alone, visibility on these shelves is a hard-won privilege!

So if you do enjoy No Gypsies Served then please don’t keep this to yourself. Keep the book to yourself, of course, but not your liking of it! Writers and publishers have to persuade other branches of Waterstone’s to stock their books. It does not happen automatically. So tonight with your help I hope we can give a healthy kick-start to make this happen. But if you could tell that cousin in Dundee, or old school-friend in Cornwall, (it doesn’t have to be that specific!! but you get the gist) friends, colleagues – really all booklovers and readers you can think of – well, you have no idea how helpful this would be. You cannot overestimate the value of good old word of mouth – we can spread awareness and hopefully get more books into more shops around the country. Take a couple of the leaflets with you. We all love to browse and pick a book. Well, bookshops do need our continuing support – what with the competition of Amazon and the rapid rise of e-books. Remember the words of that song ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.’ (not that Waterstone’s in Camberley is going anywhere!!) Libraries too – it helps if you and your friends ask for books in libraries, then they will order them in.

By the way, each book purchased comes with a most desirable and virtually indestructible bookmark (may not be dishwasher proof).

I am so grateful for your support and very touched that so many of you are here. Looking at this crowd here perhaps it’s as well that not everyone could come …!! You don’t look like a shy lot, but please if you haven’t spoken to the person next to you just ask them what their connection is with this evening and you may hear something interesting! Thank you again for coming and to wish it luck may I raise a toast to No Gypsies Served and all who sail with her!!”

‘Gypsy’ or ‘Traveller’?

A simple question often asked. But how complicated the answer!!

First of all there are many groups of, let’s say, ‘Travellers’. There are Circus and Fairground people, generally referred to as ‘Showpeople’ often of Romany origin. There are New or New Age Travellers – largely non-Gypsies from mainstream society, who opted out, particularly in the 1960s, 70s … took to the road full of dreams but with very little back up by way of traditions to help them live, obtain food, prepare meals, eat, sleep, wash themselves and their clothes, earn a living, get married, give birth, bring up children, care for their sick and elderly – on the road in a caravan, trailer or wagon. A daunting challenge when you come to think about it – not the easy option after all!

There are ‘English’, ‘Welsh’ and ‘Scottish’ Gypsies – probably with Romany roots but who have been here for so long they differentiate according to where they best belong. There are Romany Gypsies, and what used to be called ‘didakois’, not usually regarded a very friendly term, where a Romany has intermarried and had a child with a non-Gypsy.

Irish Travellers, not surprisingly, come from Ireland. Many Irish emigrated to England in the 1850s and there was another phase of movement after World War II. It is believed by some academics, however, that some Romanis once travelled to Ireland and became ‘Irish Travellers’. Did I say it was confusing? True Irish Travellers have different origins, going back maybe four or five hundred years. Some were known as Tinkers … You really need to read my second novel, No Gypsies Served … Romany Gypsies have their origins in India … this goes back over a thousand years and they made their way, through a mix of persecution and seeking a living, across Europe branching out into various countries, finally arriving in Great Britain around 500 years ago.

So they have been with us for a long time.

Irish Travellers and Showpeople do not like to be referred to as Gypsies – for them it is a derogatory term. Many Romanies are very happy to be called Gypsy, proud of their heritage, especially the younger generation where there is a resurgence of their culture. Some Gypsies of all ages, however, will hide their ethnic identity because of potential discrimination and bullying against them. Some of the older generation can remember a time in their youth when the term Gypsy was associated with insults, so are somewhat unsure.

There are also, of course, Roma in Europe and particular groups within this – the Sinti for example.

People ask, 'But what about Travellers who live in houses? How can they be Travellers?' A good question, but if a Gypsy or Traveller belongs to an ethnic group, then where they live is immaterial; and other aspects of their deep-rooted culture give them a special identity.

Romany Gypsies in turn have a term for non-Gypsies - gorgio, which has various spellings; and the Irish Travellers would call a non-Gypsy a buffer.

This is, in fact, a huge subject. Volumes and theses have been written on the origins, culture and identity of Gypsies and Travellers and it is extremely easy to cause offence, but I hope I am getting the hang of it. I guess if I've got it wrong I'll soon hear about it from someone!

In defence of the cliché

Some clichés grate, irritate or make you squirm. You want to beg the perpetrator to please blend their imagination and vocabulary to create something with originality and impact. Something to ‘blow your mind’. But I ‘have a soft spot’ for some clichés that have, after all, ‘stood the test of time’, and by that definition, are ‘classic’.

Clichés are, also by definition, overused, some more than others; proverbs, such as ‘All that glitters is not gold’, often moralistic in tone. ‘At the end of the day’ and ‘knock your socks off’ really have to go, so weakened as they are by repetition that they have the power and resonance of a goose-feather.

Strange, yet everyday, clichés leave one pondering on their origins: ‘Apple of my eye’, ‘Armed to the teeth’ ‘The best laid plans of mice and men’ but they leave no doubt as to their meaning. Whereas some have failed to become a classic cliché, in my view, because they are second rate and clumsy, for example: ‘Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door’ or ‘Keep a bad dog with you and the good dogs won’t bite’. I ‘get the message’ but it prompts me to try and offer up a snappy alternative … later.

Some express the same concept with contrasting images: ‘Is the Pope a Catholic?’ ‘Does a bear shit in the woods?’ and others. Others offer history; ‘keep your nose to the grindstone’, ‘the real McCoy’, ‘putting the cart before the horse’.

I would defend crisp clichés (possibly ‘to the hilt’) that encapsulate an emotion or situation and, above all, communicate without any misunderstanding; ‘Abandon ship’ – dramatic, with ethical overtones, short and sharp; ‘To break the ice’- simple and everyone understands it; ‘Burn your bridges’ – concise; ‘Butterflies in my stomach’ – terms like ‘collywobbles’ don’t quite ‘cut the mustard’ and attempts to improve such as ‘snakes writhing in my intestine’ probably would fail. Having said this, any writer ‘worth their salt’ would undoubtedly try and substitute some other metaphor to convey nervous emotion.

I mention the word cliché twice (I think) in my new novel, No Gypsies Served – maybe I use them more often than that! Hopefully, if I do then they are put to good use. The male character begins to pen his life story with the ‘cliché’ ‘My first day at school’. If a cliché is recognised as such I think it makes it more acceptable. It shows the speaker, or writer, is cliché-aware. The other cliché is a highly recognisable situation – but you would need to read (appreciate the subtle invitation!) the book to see this as it occurs near the end of the novel.

What’s your take on the best of our clichés? If you look up this website you may find your day will disappear as you wonder what there would be left to say without them. http://bit.ly/f78zX (apparently, allegedly, these are almost entirely attributed to the United States)

Afternote: Listening to radio news a couple of days ago, in the first minute: 'defining moment'; 'meltdown'; 'on the cusp'; and 'brought to its knees'. But are these clichés?

©Miriam Wakerly

How come Gypsies and Travellers?

This is what seems to intrigue people. How come I am writing a story with a theme that hinges on Gypsies and Travellers, their origins, culture and present-day problems? I do not, as far as I know, have any Gypsy blood in my ancestry. At book signings, or when I give talks, this is usually the first question.

Two happily converging paths led me there. I had written two novels (still gathering dust somewhere, as many writers own up to) that can be regarded as a training ground, although I may revisit and revise them. Why not? I was already veering towards stories relating to social division, perhaps contentious subject matter. For my next novel I wanted something gritty to push the boundaries. I was looking for a theme that would fit with this but which, most importantly, would also engage readers. It needed to be an enjoyable read.

That was the first thing.

The second influence that prompted me was through a job I had supporting single, teenage Mums. Not wishing to bore you to sleep with biographical detail, for about six years, I’d had my own PR and Marketing business: brochures, press releases and feature articles for mostly IT companies. I began to tire of the copywriting, which became largely re-arranging similar words – ‘cost-effective; functionality; systems integration; business solutions; connectivity …’ Yawn, yawn. Well you see my point. I yearned to escape from software and other high-tech products that claimed virtually the same benefits for different industry sectors.

This may seem convoluted, but you see my life then changed for, in the closing years of working life, I decided to ‘work with people’. When I was in the community helping support single teenage mothers I questioned whether my colleagues and I should approach the local Travellers to offer our services – mostly information and emotional support. I was told families tend to look after themselves and might not want us interfering. This set me off on a fact-finding trail, reading about their secretive and proud culture to discover a mix of persecution, poverty and achievements, origins, the differences between, say, Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers. I became more and more fascinated. It is, believe me, a huge and complex subject!

As I went on to meet many Gypsies and Travellers, visit their sites, attend their meetings, I came to realise that these people did not, by and large, match the negative stereotypes fixed in the psyche of mainstream society. This launched me into something that has become a bit of an obsession, or at least a passion for my subject. There is so much to learn, and so much to say! And I must add there are plenty of Gypsies and Travellers who speak for themselves, both as individuals and through numerous organizations, but they are not always listened to. Other people sometimes put up a barrier with their prejudices.

Waterstone’s attached a note to Gypsies Stop tHere: “A fantastic, insightful first novel by a local author. Challenges prejudices and entertains thoroughly. This is a perfect holiday read” which shows that the ‘issues’ are woven into a story that is not heavy going! Since it was published, I have learned yet more about … well that would be telling. The sequel will be out in March 2010.

© Miriam Wakerly

Still Bugged by Genres

Yes, I’m slightly bugged now by the Genre debate. Yes, we understand the need, but … but …

What about Life of Pi? Or Curious Incident of Dog in the Night-Time? The Kite Runner? And novels with social comment like Small Island by Andrea Levy or Brick Lane by Monica Ali? Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Quicksolver? Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks? Just a tiny sample of popular books that perhaps do not slot easily into an existing category, but had they not been taken up by a publisher, the reading public would be the poorer. They all have ‘something to say or show’. Are they just 'general fiction'?

Since my post on the vexed question of Genre, many more classifications – and is classification synonymous with genre? – have popped into my head. So is there room for another I wonder? I would love to hear from publishers or anyone else who is knowledgeable on these matters. A term that captures real issues/ethics/substance within the framework of a captivating story. Thus the reader is both entertained and enriched. Such novels may or may not be ‘literature’ – perhaps the most challenging term of all to define. They may or may not be exploring ethics or politics.

‘Faction’ does not quite do it for me. ‘Social comment fiction’? ‘Reality fiction’? ‘Themed’? Sue Cook on The Write Lines suggested ‘intelligent story-telling’.

Perhaps the elusive genre already exists. If so, please tell me.

A Question of Genre – is it vexed?

I am sure many writers, agents and publishers can quote chapter and verse at me on the thorny issue of genre; it is commercially vital to brand and pigeonhole books so that potential readers know what they are getting. Targeting and demographics are key.

So ‘modern/contemporary fiction’, as per BIC classification for ‘non-genre’ novels, does not perhaps cut the mustard. But what if your novel is neither romance, crime, sci-fi, historical, fantasy, erotic, thriller, nor literary? Not adventure, saga, chick-lit, grit-lit or whatever term is knocking around at the time? Nor is it the more esoteric metafiction or allegory? Perhaps it is a cross-breed, like historical romance. But if it cannot claim to fall under any such labels, does this mean it should never have been written? If so, is this not the tail wagging the dog?

A reader described Gypsies Stop tHere: “…a good read, this story provides an entertaining way of understanding a very important social issue ...” Well, is there a genre that covers this? I don’t know. Socio-rural reality page-turner? Prejudice-challenging fiction? Or perhaps simply ‘other’.

Focusing on the Gypsy theme, an academic writer recently said, “Miriam Wakerly's books Gypsies Stop tHere and No Gypsies Served (coming out March 2010) are a window to the bigotry that a race of people in the UK still experience. Textbooks illustrating statistics of what racism is like are all well and good but what Wakerly adds is an accessible and readable 'way in' to the situation for the general reader, and the storytelling approach reinforces we are talking about real people here, not statistics. I would recommend that people read these books as a reflection of the reality of contemporary Britain.”

This all sounds terribly grave but there are many other happenings within my pages, I promise you! Relationships and various interconnecting storylines in an English village seem to ‘captivate’ a wide-ranging readership, so they tell me.

I could define my novels as a ‘village-novel-with-edge’ or something like that. It’s not Miss Read or Rebecca Shaw. I cannot think of a word that single-handedly encapsulates it. Can you? If so, please let me know!

If anyone wants to quote from this blog then that’s fine but please credit me! Thanks.
© Miriam Wakerly

Tip-top Top Tips for Self-Publishing

People have different reasons for self-publishing. This can range from having a few digital copies printed at low outlay to give to family and friends; to going the whole hog, pulling out all the marketing stops to justify a larger traditional print run. The latter brings down the unit cost substantially but then you have a liability on your hands. All those books!

I decided to self-publish and once I’d made the decision I felt as if a dead weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was positive because people were saying good things about my book. This helps.

Tip 1
Be clear about your end objective; it will influence decisions and choices you make in the process.
Tip 2
Get as much feedback as possible. It enables you to revise confidently.
Persuade people, whose opinion you value, to comment on your mss before it goes to print. These good people are in effect your proof-reader and editor, and you, the author, are your own agent and publisher. But I would never have gone ahead without heeding critiques from many people before Gypsies Stop tHere went to print. Every author probably thinks their book is wonderful on so many levels; I couldn’t just trust my own biased judgement. I was happy with it but I needed to be sure that others were too. Writing circles are invaluable for getting honest feedback.
Some self-published books let themselves down, so it is said; probably due to forging ahead regardless of others’ opinions.
Tip 3
Examine what skills you can utilise. Are you good enough at word-processing and layout to provide printer-ready mss? to not stand out like a sore thumb? Are you familiar with printing terms and confident enough to be able to sign off that final proof or pdf – the last time you see your work until it is in book form? Can you design your book cover or will you need to pay for this artwork? Could you set up a website as an online shop?
Tip 4
An adjunct of this is to don your business hat because whatever you cannot do yourself you may need to pay for. Keep account of costs and your profit margin. It is so easy to keep paying out for things you think might help your book along and if you are not quite mean with yourself, costs will spiral – upwards!
Tip 5
For the mechanics: ISBN numbers, barcode, marketing methods, information on distributors and wholesalers, registering with Nielsen Book Data, and other essential tasks, then it is a good idea to get a couple of step-by-step books on the subject. There are many available.

With two previous novels I ventured down the disheartening and time-consuming agent-and-publisher trail. If you are an unknown, there is little alternative to submitting letters with required enclosures. I was slowly working my way through the Writers and Artists Year Book! It demanded stamina and incurred cost. Every rejection hurt! Once I had finished writing Gypsies Stop tHere, already feeling almost bereaved - missing my characters and their world, as you do – I decided to grasp the proverbial nettle.

I have had a wonderful time with book signings in shops and at events; giving talks; setting up a website; meeting so many fascinating, open-minded people and, of course, having fun with Twitter! Looking forward to the next one soon.

If anyone wants to quote these tips then that’s fine but please credit me! Thanks.
© Miriam Wakerly