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19 July 2008
'What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.' Ben Johnson, 1897.
I came across this quotation in my local library after doing a morning's research on what was in the news in 1980 in preparation for my fourth novel, Village Teacher. I guess he had a point because, although writing a novel is a hugely satisfying experience, it is hard work!
The last few weeks have been busy. I was the after dinner speaker at the Whittlebury Hotel in Northamptonshire in June. It was the Annual Bursars' Conference and it really was a well-organized and enjoyable occasion.
The big event at the end of June was the Annual Winchester Writers' Conference. This year the plenary speaker was Colin Dexter OBE, creator of Inspector Morse, and he launched the weekend in his own inimitable style. Then, I teamed up with Katie Espiner, the dynamic Senior Commissioning Editor at Transworld Publishers, to present a workshop to over thirty writers concerning the route to successful fiction writing.
Early July celebrated Independent Booksellers' Week. I finally met my fellow Yorkshireman, Alan Titchmarsh, when we both worked behind the till (with a lot of help from the staff!) at the Little Green Dragon Bookshop in Alton in Hampshire. I was also the guest speaker at the meeting of local book clubs organized by Claire Hearns the LGD manager.
I'm having a break in August (school holidays even in retirement!) but there are a few interesting events to look forward to in the autumn including talk/signings at Waterstone's, Hull (18 Sept), Howden Arts Festival (19 Sept), Devon W. I. - 700 ladies - will I survive? (14 Oct), Alton Library (12 Nov) and Hythe Library (3 Dec).
I should like to thank the many hundreds of readers who have contacted me via the Contact page on this website. The majority want to know when the next Teacher novel will appear in the bookshops. The third novel in the series is Dear Teacher and this is due to be published on 29 January 2009 and I'm now busy with the fourth novel, Village Teacher. Also, the first novel in the series, Teacher, Teacher!, has just appeared in audio format and the second novel, Mister Teacher, reappears in mass circulation paperback in September.
Waterstone's have been a huge supporter of my writing (Teacher, Teacher! was one of Waterstone's Books of the Year in 2007) and they are to produce an exclusive Jack Sheffield Christmas 2008 Special. It's a small hardback 'stocking filler' entitled An Angel Called Harold and should provide some amusement over the festive season.
In the meantime, with the words of Ben Johnson in mind, I'm setting off once again to the library to do some research on blacksmiths in preparation for a chapter provisionally entitled Beauty and the Blacksmith. Great fun but hard work!
Happy reading and enjoy the summer.
To see the Jack Sheffield BBC Look North interview 09/05/07, click here.
To hear the Jack Sheffield Yorkshire Post radio interview 16/05/07, click here.
To read the Jack Sheffield Yorkshire Post article 18/05/07, click here.
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