Good morning,
Wildfell Book Club is back after a short hiatus. In that time we have recruited a new cohort of editors and are just about to unveil our theme for Issue Two. Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks for updates.
Illustration: Alex Abadjieva
Editor’s Note:
I recently finished Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. Set predominantly in London but also in Newcastle and California, Evaristo’s novel tells a series of intertwined tales drifting back and forth between the early 20th century and the present day. It won the Booker prize in 2019, an accolade which it thoroughly deserves. I was fascinated by the simultaneous authenticity and lyricism of each tale. From the haughty teacher who grows bitter when her protegées forget all about her to the student journalist with dreams of working for VICE, whose blog post blows up Twitter, each character is expertly constructed. They are only afforded centre-stage for a short period of time (a chapter at most), yet it is this distance that makes the novel so compelling. Like a stranger you might have a brief but friendly chat to in the queue for the post office, the characters of Girl, Woman, Other grab your attention for a moment which, while short, is ripe with meaning.
Article of the Week:
In our article of the week, senior columnist, Harry Vavasour writes of the journalist and critic, A.A. Gill, “With 42 articles from across the 2010s, Lines in the Sand shows this master of journalism at his mature peak, combining his panache with added pertinence and perspective”. You can read Harry’s latest column here.
image: qwayzymonkey via Creative Commons
Creative writing of the Week:
‘Timing’ is a pertinent and reflective lyric from our resident poet Rianna Andrews. You can read Rianna’s poem here.
Book Recommendation:
Nora Ephron’s hit rom-com, Sleepless in Seattle has recently been adapted as a socially-distanced musical for the West End. When Sleepless was advertised, I was reminded of another of Ephron’s eternally optimistic tales, Heartburn. Although not optimistic from the outset (the novel is a semi-autobiographical take on the breakdown of Ephron’s own marriage), Heartburn is uplifting in its cynicism. Peppered with recipes including the author’s own take on Key Lime Pie, Heartburn brings a new meaning to food writing. Food becomes something that is both deeply personal and painstakingly public. It’s a fantastic read.
Knowledge Corner:
A new podcast from producer, Jelena Sofronijevic, Empire Lines launched recently. Listen for a discussion of the unexpected links between Art and Empire featuring everything from The Great Mosque (s) of Djenné to George Bernard Shaw. You can find Empire Lines here.
New to Wildfell this week is the addition of our Documentary Column. Each week, our Reviews Editor - Tommie Trelawny-Vernon will be reviewing a new documentary. Up this week, Dick Johnson is Dead. Next week: Attenborough.
That’s it for this week, but do keep tuning in for more updates, content and recommendations. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week.
Wildfell Editorial Team.