The kindness of your nature at JFK airport

A friend snapped this picture of my book at JFK airport yesterday. It is a slightly surreal feeling to realise that the book has a life of its own over in the US, while I am sitting here on this particularly grey day in Auckland. It is easy to think that nothing happens when you hear and see nothing. So, this image was a most welcome sign that my book is doing well. Without me. The odd review has been coming through, all good. So, instead of browsing for more information I should let it go. And return to my task.

I have said it before: I do not believe those who claim that they never read reviews. There is an element of masochism in exposing oneself to them, and inevitably, only the bad ones linger. I am not sure how many good reviews Sonata for Miriam received around the world and I can’t quote any, but I certainly remember the blog that called it a ‘five star turkey’.

Slowly, the reviews for The Memory of Love  are beginning to appear. So far, so good. Here is one from BookBrowse

I was offered to contribute to a US blog and describe my dream cast, should my book me made into a film. You can read it here: My book, the movie

We are allowed to dream, aren’t we?

A beautiful reading of The Kindness of your Nature/ The Memory of Love by Denis O’Connell is being broadcast this month. You can listen to the first fours episodes here: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thereading

 

 

 

  

I was recently offered to contribute a list of music relevant to my latest novel, The Memory of Love, to the blog largehearted Boy. It was a bittersweet task. I was instantly back there, in the time when the novel was written. It wasn’t very long ago, yet in some ways, it now feels like it was in another life. And like much in life, watched in hindsight, it looks more appealing than what it felt like at the time…

You can see the list – and listen to some of it – here: www.largeheartedboy.com

Sorry, life has kept me very busy lately and this site has been neglected. I have taken a big step – for me – and invested in a home in New Zealand again, after three years of dallying. I am now as settle as it is possible for me to be, with more space for just me and my books than I have ever had before. And as the dust is now slowly setting I am finally ready to resume my life and return to my writing. My double life continues, though, and I plan to leave New Zealand for Europe in July. Hopefully, with a completed new novel in my bag.

Lots of things to report – all good.

But for now, what is occupying me is the imminent release of The memory of love in the USA. Today is the day, I think. Fingers crossed!

Back soon. I promise!

Doing what you should never do – googling myself – I came upon this interesting blog:

Swedish Book Review

I thought the review of my own novel, ‘The Kindness of Your Nature’/'The Memory of Love’, was interesting and thoughtful, and I continued to read several others. I recommend it for anybody with an interest in Swedish literature.

Time to start making plans for summer! The southern summer and January. I so look forward to teaching this one week course:

Interesting to read the commentaries about New Zealand’s presence at the Frankfurt Book Fair in the German media. Overall, sadly, they confirm my own impression. An underwhelming response to New Zealand literature referred to as ‘stories without written language’. There are precious few proper reviews of New Zealand books, and no major presentations. I suppose they drowned in the black water…

Here is a very good review of ‘Die Fremde am Meer’:

http://www.literaturmarkt.info/cms/front_content.php?idcat=81&idart=6541

Back in Stockholm with mixed feelings. Perhaps my expectations were unrealistic, but I had such high hopes for New Zealand’s participation as the 2012 Guest of Honour. It was lavish, perhaps even extravagant, chosing to fill the more than 2,000 square metres of the New Zealand Pavilion with water and darkness. Stunning, perhaps, but not very practical. It was easy to forget that this was part of a BOOK fair. But I suppose time will tell if this will make an impact on how the world takes to New Zealand literature. Neither my German nor my Swedish publisher was approached by anybody New Zealand, while last year Iceland’s focus was entirely on building relationships and selling literary rights.

A comment from German magazine Stern titled ‘Storytellers with no written language’!, but mentioning ‘Die Fremde am Meer’ as having ‘Bestsellerpotenzial’, bestseller potential:

http://www.stern.de/kultur/buecher/neuseeland-auf-der-frankfurter-buchmesse-geschichtenerzaehler-ohne-schriftsprache-1906944.html