On Sunday 17th January 2021 I gave a virtual talk to members of the Orwell Society, introduced by Quentin Kopp whose father was George Orwell’s commanding officer in the Spanish Civil War. There were some superb questions from the audience.
With the current restrictions on meeting in person it was a special opportunity to chat about the dystopian genre, how Orwell has shaped my creative journey, and to celebrate the launch of Rock On.
Winning an award in the Orwell Society dystopian fiction competition launched me on a new career as an author.
I was touched by some lovely comments especially about the humour in the books which had made readers ‘laugh out loud’.
The organisers timed the event to coincide with the anniversary of the fantastic party we had last year for the launch of Rockstar Ending in Libreria bookshop, just off London’s Brick Lane. Sadly, we weren’t able to have a launch event this time round.
It took me ages to find the best place to do the call. Eventually I took over my son’s bedroom, turned his desk round so the camera on my laptop would face a blank wall, and hung up the small version of my treasured Tim Doyle print in the background. That’s the artwork we used for the cover of Rockstar Ending.
You can watch a recording of the interview which includes a short reading from the first chapter of Rock On, starting at 17:20.
Look out for an unexpected comparison to George Orwell from someone who knew him well!
If you are interested in joining the Orwell Society, which exists to promote the understanding and appreciation of the life and works of George Orwell, and has a brilliant events programme click here.
