Kathleen Jones' Ordeal by Photograph
Every now and then, if you’re a writer, looms that awful thing - the author photograph. They’re stuck on the back of your books and are supposed to seduce the reader into believing that you’d be an interesting, friendly, wildly creative, spell-bindingly addictive person to spend time with. Ageism has crept into publishing, as with everything else, so you’re also expected to look as though you have reasonable mileage still left in the tank. Gone are the times when wrinkles, turkey wattles, fag hanging out of the mouth, professorial spectacles and bad hair were considered a vital part of the creative persona. Alas. W H Auden could get away with it! Some authors cheat - they carry on using a shot that’s decades old. I recently went to a literature festival to hear an author talking about her books - the photo in the programme showed a dark-haired, slim-line beauty, but on stage was a plump, grey-haired lady I would never have recognised as the same person. ...