The Creative Identity

Original

It’s past 4.30 pm and I do find it slightly odd that I should be sitting here, committing thoughts to screen, as I’m still in the middle of the holidays. I’m not one of those over-zealous, weird creatures who return to work the day after the party; I like to protract Time Off as much as possible. I’m returning to England at some point on Saturday afternoon and will resume work doings on Monday morning. If I could, I would go from plane to office, but I do have things to sort out, such dogs to pick up and a shower that doesn’t work. And maybe a fridge to stock up as well. Meanwhile, I’m having what I can only describe as One Heck of a Great Time, as I live on a diet of pistachios, champagne, video-games, cakes, new shoes and new books. I planned for many days this interim post, part-review, part-greeting, yet in truth my thoughts are scattered as they flit from book to book. I brought a few with me and bought a few in a few different languages. Yesterday seemed like a good time to crack open the new diary and send it forth to prosper in 2012 with a list that enumerates items as disparate as ‘learn Chinese’, ‘buy a bed’, and ‘lose ten pounds’ (because, I don’t know about your New Year’s Day lists, but mine aren’t really mine unless they include a bit of self-flagellation). What I’ve yet to add to the... Read more →

On Writing And Pigeonholes

In 2003 Sophie Dahl was appointed as one of the judges of the Orange literary prize. Many people doubted the legitimacy of her position, to the point whereby she felt the need to defend herself: 'I don't think there is some sort of specific criterion that qualifies someone to be a judge, I don't need to justify why I was asked. I've always talked about loving books and liking to read. It's lovely now because I can discuss them'. Her rebuttal sounds deeply lyrical and also very simplistic, for reducing the judging of a literary prize to a love of books and reading is on a par with professionally likening the person who hems trousers at the dry cleaner's with the artistic director at Christian Dior. On one side we have the populist approach, which a few years later allowed Lily Allen to be chosen as an Orange judge, and on the other we have the academic approach, equally repulsive in its inability to see past any fewer than five degrees, twenty-five publications in the field and many years worth of sucking up to one's elders. When you're a writer, you will find that fighting such conflicting preconceptions is part of your daily quota of bile. I must admit that even I have often felt the need to latch onto my qualifications in order to silence the naysayers who narrow their eyes as they silently wonder whether I've made my degrees, my work and my experiences up. This is because... Read more →