tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post2223908481839498366..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: The Great Way Round by Dennis HamleyKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-54861536495563518942012-11-20T21:38:15.444+00:002012-11-20T21:38:15.444+00:00The worst thing about those old Gestetner duplicat...The worst thing about those old Gestetner duplicators was that the PE teachers at my school - who doubled as geography teachers - would insist in handwriting their notes that were then distributed to us lot.Charles Christianhttp://www.urbanfantasist.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-81974377926399991532012-11-15T23:47:47.102+00:002012-11-15T23:47:47.102+00:00Dennis, I too loved your story, not least because ...Dennis, I too loved your story, not least because it brought to mind the Shrewsbury Fragment which I always meant to 'have a go at', though I'm sure by now I never will. <br /><br />I'm waiting for Part II with bated breath. In the meantime, have a good Christmas in New Zealand.Pauline Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11826696982301252524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-80375501302957760922012-11-15T17:19:37.833+00:002012-11-15T17:19:37.833+00:00Gosh, what a lovely meeting of old friends this is...Gosh, what a lovely meeting of old friends this is turning out to be. Virginia, plug on with Echo Hall because from what I've reads so far I know it's going to be good. Lydia (or may I call you Val?) I tremble now when I think of my temerity in splitting up my second carbon copy and scattering the bits all over the publishing world. But I was amazed to find that when I finally got myself an agent in 2002 (not that they wouldn't have me: I didn't see the need for one when I had all the work I could handle) she sent the first novel I did for her (Ellen's People) to four publishers at once. Walker made an offer first and I said, against her advice, 'let's take it and run.' I might have done better to wait. But I realised that part of the old spirit remains.<br /><br />Julia, I didn't know it was you who edited the magnificent Sterkarm Handshake. Brilliant. I always though it was David.Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-78086310226477655422012-11-15T16:28:41.399+00:002012-11-15T16:28:41.399+00:00Dennis, oo er... will look out for it. I only came...Dennis, oo er... will look out for it. I only came on as Jane as that's my blogging identity, but it's Julia to you, always!!Thanks for that lovely intro. I loved editing the Joslin books, mwah, mwah.<br /><br />And yes, Susan should undoubtedly have won the Carnegie for the Sterkarms, but really glad she won the Guardian. My proudest ever moment as an editor.<br /><br />Oh and if this isn't incestuous enough, Virginia Moffatt above is my twin sister, and Dennis taught her creative writing...Jane Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17514534117777707886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-6142546992092892562012-11-15T16:24:45.811+00:002012-11-15T16:24:45.811+00:00Great stuff Dennis! Fab story...
Still plugging a...Great stuff Dennis! Fab story...<br /><br />Still plugging away at Echo Hall - and this encourages me to keep plugging!<br /><br />Enjoy NZ and say hi to Kay.Virginia Moffatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12071059148315715405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-87550912644903163752012-11-14T23:30:27.641+00:002012-11-14T23:30:27.641+00:00very enjoyable Dennis, great to hear your story of...very enjoyable Dennis, great to hear your story of first breakthrough. I love the way you divided the book up to send out - this would be a total no-no nowadays! do have a fab time in NZ and I look forward to the next instalment! Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-59535738972225331542012-11-14T18:25:32.182+00:002012-11-14T18:25:32.182+00:00Jan, I met Andre just once. 'One of my childr...Jan, I met Andre just once. 'One of my children's authors,' said Pam. He gave a weary sort of look, somehow pained, and said, 'I see.' and wandered off. Did you know he was incredibly mean and insisted on 40 watt light bulbs throughout? Pam blamed her fading eyesight on him, though in a rather affectionate way.<br /><br />Sue, you are a star. I've made a habit of doing extra blogs because I've forgotten something. Perhaps now I too can make them postscripts. And you SHOULD have won the Carnegie at 16 - and 32 as well And the Sterkarms, even (or especially) if the third has to be indie, should have a specially minted Trilogy Medal, together with a rather large cheque.Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-87611812371197815922012-11-14T18:09:18.933+00:002012-11-14T18:09:18.933+00:00And correction - I got my first publishing contrac...And correction - I got my first publishing contract at 16, but I was 32 when I won the Carnegie. Thanks very much for the mensh, anyway!Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-87576440607707666542012-11-14T18:06:43.544+00:002012-11-14T18:06:43.544+00:00Dennis, if you read this, you had scheduled your ...Dennis, if you read this, you had scheduled your post to appear at 12 noon. At about 8-30 am, I went round the back of the blog, in my guise as blog-brownie, and altered the time so it appeared.<br />I also copied your post-script to the end of your blog, and deleted your later one, so it didn't appear as a confusing mini-blog all by itself.<br />The blog-brownie will happily accept all offering of bread milk, but would prefer cake and cream.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-33211590038291219482012-11-14T14:39:41.629+00:002012-11-14T14:39:41.629+00:00I loved that, Dennis, thanks. The thing i remember...I loved that, Dennis, thanks. The thing i remember best about being a Deutsch author (apart from the divine Pam, for whom I once wrote one of my three poems. It started<br /><br />'I've got a novel for you, Mrs Royds, I said<br />To Pam, the boss of this ere publishers...' <br /><br />Something like that, anyway. I never met Andre Deutsch, the actual boss, in all my years of cruising in and out, but the phone rang in the publicity office one afternoon while Sheila Murphy (forgive me if i'm wrong) slipped out for another bottle.<br /><br />'Who are you?' he said.<br /><br />'Jan Needle. One of your children's authors.'<br /><br />'Ah', he said. 'Pleased to meet you. Make sure you keep warm, won't you?'<br /><br />And that was that.<br /><br />Ah, how things change. Last night I ended up slipping into a Manchester dive in what they now call, oddly, The Northern Quarter. There to listen to Dan Holloway blasting out some terrific poetry, while the wall behind him scrolled the names and comments of other poets, and friends, from all ower t'world, lad. What would Andre have said to that, I wonder? <br /><br />Keep warm, probably!<br /><br />Love to Kay, and hurry back from God's Own.Jan Needlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15823078224282953782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-79750013270216070732012-11-14T12:55:16.815+00:002012-11-14T12:55:16.815+00:00Ah, those good old days ... came over all nostalgi...Ah, those good old days ... came over all nostalgic at the memory of duplicators, PE treachers doubling as Art teachers, carbon paper, rejection slips and later on the joys of cutting and pasting a magazine together instead of faffing about with computers ... just off to sniff some Pritt stick ...madwippitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02595748471651052552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-76081276779678026582012-11-14T11:10:46.548+00:002012-11-14T11:10:46.548+00:00I really enjoyed reading this and I'm looking ...I really enjoyed reading this and I'm looking forward to part 2Chris Longmuirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02488093821886798927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-38232855022567764482012-11-14T10:13:57.314+00:002012-11-14T10:13:57.314+00:00Ah, Bill. Two old gits together. Such tales to t...Ah, Bill. Two old gits together. Such tales to tell. Good, eh?Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-13755356104328673922012-11-14T10:09:34.023+00:002012-11-14T10:09:34.023+00:00Well, thank you all! Julia, I have no sang foid a...Well, thank you all! Julia, I have no sang foid at all. I scheduled this for 00.30 this morning but when I went in to AE at 8 this morning IT WASN'T THERE. Panic. So I pressed Publish again and it STILL wasn't there. Kay, calm as ever, said 'Why not press Refresh?' Aftr she'd told me what it was and where I could find it, I did and stone me but there it was. But I have terrible forebodings about the fate of the next two.<br /><br />Jane, or may I call you Julia? I didn't know who was commenting at first. Yes, we had good days at Scholastic, Pam, you and me. Listen up, folks, this is the wonderful lady who edited the first three Joslins and helped me see not only the way which they should go but got me into writing Point Crimes in the first place, thus turning my writing career around when I was thinking it might be running into the sand. She'll be appearing in Part 2, whether she likes it or not.<br /><br />Cally, I'm so glad S of the P passes muster. And I've made my peace with Kay.<br /><br />Penny, you're in part 2 as well.<br /><br />Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-75157898637192402912012-11-14T09:51:16.617+00:002012-11-14T09:51:16.617+00:00Great stuff, Dennis. More, more, more. I'm a c...Great stuff, Dennis. More, more, more. I'm a contemporary so it brought back my memories of the same sort of processes (although mine were with radio plays and the Beeb). But lunches with editors and all the mystique of that magical world of publishing - as you say, so so different.<br />I hope you have a great time in New Zealand.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-48439025776865223372012-11-14T09:41:32.547+00:002012-11-14T09:41:32.547+00:00This is brilliant, Dennis, and I can hear you tell...This is brilliant, Dennis, and I can hear you telling it as I read, especially that bit about your mood when you finally met the estimable Pam. <br /><br />Longing for the next parts of your story now. A different but not always so different world. <br /><br />Have a wonderful time with Kay in NZ.Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-23164876358730494872012-11-14T09:29:40.501+00:002012-11-14T09:29:40.501+00:00Dennis Hamley. God among us. That was fantastic De...Dennis Hamley. God among us. That was fantastic Dennis, I'm so glad you are serialising your 'life story'!!! I've just finished reading Spirit of the Place and I LOVED IT with a passion. As RB wrote to EBB - Dear Dennis, I love your writing and I love you! (tell Kay not to worry, I'm just being literary) Have a great time in NZ. We'll miss you and haste ye back in 2013. CallyPhillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15481379296340077102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-78193880912559112942012-11-14T09:21:59.804+00:002012-11-14T09:21:59.804+00:00Oh Dennis, I've heard that story about you and...Oh Dennis, I've heard that story about you and Pam from both sides, but never told as eloquently or wittily as here!<br /><br />So glad Pam did take you on, otherwise we'd never have met, and I wouldn't have had the privilege of editing you too.<br /><br />Have a great trip to NZ. Look forward to reading parts 2 &3<br /><br />xxxxJuliaxxxxJane Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17514534117777707886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-19692496601226411592012-11-14T09:14:54.958+00:002012-11-14T09:14:54.958+00:00Oh I did enjoy this - a contender already for AE a...Oh I did enjoy this - a contender already for AE anthology no2 But serious, at the outset of AE did you thiunk you'd have the sang froid to be merrily scheduling blogs in advance to pop up obediently with you on the other side of the world? I still get the shakes writing and postng the night before!julia joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09773900100240758504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-10054372869746676472012-11-14T08:36:05.813+00:002012-11-14T08:36:05.813+00:00Fascinating, Dennis! And, have a great time in New...Fascinating, Dennis! And, have a great time in New Zealand, you and Kay, and come back safe!Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.com