Finchley Literay Festival 2014: My perspective. Part 2

Tuesday evening saw me off to my local library for another FLF event,  the workshop on Self Publishing by two local authors, Liz Goes and Linda Louisa Dell who have chosen this publishing route. By the time I arrived it was standing room only!

Linda Louisa Dell

Liz Goes

Self publishing has really taken off but there are pitfalls to beware of so Liz and Linda pointed plenty of these out. They both recommended using the best package one could afford and especially use the services of an editor either in the package or independently. Linda emphasized that publishing is the easy bit - the hard part is the promotion, which needs huge input if you are to make sales, no matter how good the product. Liz gave us information on the varying self-publishing packages and a list of useful sources. She also explained about the ALCS. Overall, a useful talk for those considering this process.

I wasn't able to get to AL Michael's 'Write Here, Write Now' writing workshop for kids on Wednesday but Murni talks about it here on the Greenacre Writers blog, along with the other events she attended.

Theresa Musgrove

My next event was Theresa Musgrove's talk on Dickens' link with Finchley. Theresa is also known as Mrs Angry, one of the famous Barnet Bloggers, who is famed for her outspoken views on what is wrong with our local council. She has a huge following so I wasn't surprised to find Church End Library packed, with more people coming in after we'd used all the chairs. It is well known that Dickens stayed in Cobley Farm near Bow Lane in Finchley, where he wrote much of Martin Chuzzlewit and that in The Old Curiosity Shop, Mr Garland lives in Abel Cottage in Finchley, but Theresa's  thorough research came up with several more links to Finchley and nearby areas such as Hendon.

 

At the end of her fascinating talk, Mike gave thanks but to his horror the bouquet of flowers was not ready for him to present to her. It was eventually located in the library staff-room but when it did arrive was of colours that nicely matched Theresa's outfit.

Mike, Lucy and Rosie

A couple of hours later we were back at the library for Mike Gee's slideshow of Finchley's green spaces - Mike has charted and photographed every one - with associated readings. We were treated to extracts of Wind in the Willows, Betjeman's poems and a host of other readings by Mike, Rosie Canning, Lucy Nowell, and Donald Lyven carefully timed to match the picture sequences, but the reading that got the biggest round of applause was Lucy's recitation of local funny man Spike Milligan's On The Ning Nang Nong. Helping pack the chairs away afterwards I realised we were exactly half-way through the festival.