No bull on his tongue

By Wednesday evening I knew that the absolute highlight of my week so far was Alan Garner’s talk. His incredibly intricate, brilliantly written stories completely absorbed me, despite my usual reluctance to read fantasy novels.

I was hoping for an insight into how he creates these vivid worlds and weaves his deeply-layered, often chilling stories. What I got was so much more.

Garner speaks with a distinguished eloquence and a great deal of wisdom. He initially spoke of language history and his background as an athlete, an actor and an academic. By the time he began talking about his methods of writing I was absolutely enthralled, feverishly making notes for fear of losing a shard of wisdom.

For Alan, writers’ block is merely impatience.  For him, stories arise from isolated ideas that appear in the mind from nowhere, often several years apart. Sparks then fly and form a book in the unconscious mind until there is a “moment of particularly sharp vision” and a sense that the book has always existed. It is then a task of “excavation” rather than creation for which he switches his brain off so it doesn’t “get in the way”. For Alan, “Creativity is not a job, it is a pathological state”.

He was also kind enough to sign books for eager fans after the talk, during which time he was funny, approachable and without airs and graces despite his impressive career. 

I may not be a fantasy fan but I am now, without question, an Alan Garner fan.

Hannah Maggs

"I challenge you to do worse"

I expected Alan Garner, as a fantasy writer to be as strange as other fantasy writers I know of (Alan Moore springs to mind). However he was surprisingly normal and down to earth, but quick to say he believes that being a writer is a pathological state. He also warned us that his talk would not be a guide on how to write. He stresses this sentiment again later, insisting that you cannot tell how someone how to write.

Garner elucidates the importance of learning from your own work, stating that the writer is a 'subordinate to his own work,' and that stringing two sentences together does not make you a writer any more than knocking two bits of wood together makes you a carpenter. And I can see what he means: that you have to dedicate yourself to writing well and sweat over it as any craftsman would. He goes on to insist that rewriting and redrafting your work is the best way to make progress with your writing.

Garner demonstrates this tried and tested method of perseverance by sharing with us the opening to his first book, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, as it appeared in his original draft. He follows the first pages in which Colin and Susan appeared with the comment,  'I challenge you to do worse.' The audience responds with delighted laughter.  Later he tells us how bored he became with Colin and Susan in The Moon of Gomrath..  This led to the point in one draft where he was so fed up with Colin and Susan that he allowed an ending in which one of the villains attacked Colin and  "wrung the little bugger's neck."Somehow Garner managed to return to the novel (intended for children aged 8 and up) and give the characters a less devastating ending.  He them left Colin and Susan for decades, returning to them only in his latest, adult novel, Boneland.

The talk with Garner was concise, encouraging and has given me a lot to think about. Garner states that he has no patience for writer's block, branding it as merely a writer's impatience. He compares writing to the dripping of a tap; sometimes you only get a few drops sometimes you get a rush of water. Garner's advice for when you feel you have writers block was simply to 'have a bath!' 

 

Kimberley Brett

Alan Garner - 50 years of turning adults into children

Anybody from Leicester who has been on Twitter recently has no doubt seen the barrage of excited tweets about several local events: Finding Richard III in his Royal Car Park, Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival, and now - De Montfort University's very own Cultural Exchanges event.

With a wide range of events and talks, varying on topics from history, to eastern philosophy, to dance, drama, and rare appearances of renowned authors, the campus seems to be full of copies of the Cultural Exchanges brochure, and people talking about what events they're most looking forward to.

I know several people who are looking forward to at least one of the events with childish delight. Having read Alan Garner's fantasy books as children, both of my parents took a single look at his picture in the brochure before falling into a slightly unsettling fit of excited hysterics. 

They've now both started re-reading The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.

Of course I don't expect everyone to be quite as excited as them, but there is something strangely thrilling at the thought of attending a talk by someone who has captured the imagination of children and adults alike for over 50 years. 

Having been read his books by two over-enthusiastic parents since I was young, I'm looking forward to seeing the man behind it all. I will be attending his talk on Wednesday.

...Obviously, so will my parents.

 

 

Anneka Mason

One crazy week and a distressing suit

I dreamt of a week with no timetable when I could just sit back and be inspired by a range of speakers.  But all that inspiration must be interwoven with the very hectic schedule of rehearsing for another cultural exchanges, as I prepare to perform in De Montfort's collaboration with that other hub of Leicester culture, The Curve.

The play, Serious Money is written by Caryl Churchill and is set after the Big Bang of the 1980s. It's about money, money and more money and the effects it can and does have on folk. Oh, and it opens on Friday 1st March.

For me, Cultural Exchanges will be an exchange. An exchange of character, persona and definitely dress code, as my character wears a distressing suit (to say the least).

I will therefore mostly be mixing up my Manda Scott, author of the acclaimed Boudicca series, with 'A Bull on my Tongue' from the revered novelist, Alan Garner. I will be adding a dash of Etherington from Serious Money (in the distressing suits), a sprinkle of the author and screenwriter Andrew Davies, and to see in which way i am headed, several helpings of postgrad and undergraduate performance bubbles.

It will be one busy, exciting, crazy, scary, intriguing, inspiring week!


Michelle Haggerty-Wood

Sleep will have to wait

As part of my creative writing course I was instructed to sign up to at least 3 events at DMU during Cultural Exchanges week. I must admit, to begin with I was rather upset at being robbed of the prospect of spending the whole week in bed.

Nevertheless, I obediently looked in the leaflet we had been given and I realised I may be able to cope with a week out of bed after all. Alan Garner was coming to do a talk.

I will shamefully admit that I had never actually read one of his books, but several of the titles, such as The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Owl Service, were very familiar to me. As an aspiring fantasy author, the fact that he was so well known in the genre was enough for me, and I even dragged myself out of bed early to be sure I could secure my place as soon as the booking site opened. For a mere £3, the infinite wisdom of this man would be mine to behold.  I also ordered a copy of The Weirdstone of Brisingamen. I've started it, and it's truly a wonderful book - my excitement for the event is only increasing.

I will end my ramblings here, and recommend that you pick up one (or all) of his books, and if you're around the Leicester area next week with some money to spare, try and book yourself a place!

(If you are interested in booking this event or any others during Cultural Exchange week at DMU, click here)


S. J Miners

My interest is piqued

I have to admit, I'm appalling with names. Give me J.K. Rowling and I'll still be hesitant to claim she's the one who wrote Harry Potter in case I'm wrong (seriously who wants to screw up a fact like that?) So I may have come across Alan Garner, or I may have not... either way it's time for Google

Children's fantasy novels... retellings of traditional British folk tales... if his wikipedia page is anything to go by then I'm feeling a little more excited. Don't get me wrong, I was already looking forward to seeing a published novelist, especially when it's just a five - ten minute walk from my front door, but when his books seem just a little more suited to my taste it adds that hint more of anticipation

So roll on Alan Garner, you have my interest piqued.



Laura Jones

Anticipating Alan Garner

Like many, I was intrigued by the phrase "rare public appearance" in the information about Alan Garner, despite being previously unaware of his work.

I've never been a fan of fantasy novels but, after booking, I promptly purchased two of his books: The Owl Service and Red Shift. When they arrived, going against all I've been told, I chose to read the book with the most intriguing cover first: The Owl Service. Since the genre does not usually appeal to me I paid particular attention to the style of language, the techniques used and the effects these create. I have, however, been surprised at how absorbing the story is. Garner writes with incredibly strong imagery; the characters are deep and unclichéd and the plot is full of mystery. I'm now excited and curious to hear what the man behind this involving, well-written story line has to say. 

While the book has been very enjoyable, I haven't been converted to a fully-fledged fantasy fan just yet. Perhaps Red Shift will change my mind later this evening.  

 

 

Hannah Maggs