#faberacademy

[charlotte60s-icancope]

Salisbury Literary Festival Vanguard Readings #salslitfest18 #salslitfest @tombromleyesq @salslitfest #faberacademy (at Fisherton Mill - Gallery Cafe Studios) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpKdXU1BtQZ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=bat5rnnuxo2p

[journeywriting]

The Red Dancer by Richard Skinner

The story of Mata Hari has fascinated people for years. Her beauty, fame, and name have become legend. In The Red Dancer, Richard Skinner removes the veil, revealing the woman behind the myth. Before she was Mata Hari, she was Margaretha MacLeod. She was a mother and a wife. Only out of sheer necessity and desperation did she find her way to the stage. 

The Red Dancer explores the evolution of one of the most renowned exotic dancers in the world. It is told from many points of view, giving the reader a real insight into the life of the most desired woman in Europe. 

Richard Skinner paints a stunning picture of Mata Hari, combining fact with fiction. That is why I read the entire book in one whole day. And that is how you know you have found a gem of a character. Someone who leaves an impression. A complex and enthralling woman, who changed the world with her art. Despite the obstacles, Mata Hari defied conventions and reinvented herself during the First World War. Not only was she a dancer and a lover, she was also a spy. 

It is no wonder Faber has reissued the stunning new edition of The Red Dancer. Richard Skinner is a talented writer as well as the Director of the Fiction programme at the Faber Academy. I was lucky to have been one of his students and I can honestly say, the man knows a good story. 

[pfgolden-blog]

Disclaimer by Renee Knight

I've been afforded the privilege of reading an advance proof copy of Renee Knight's debut novel DISCLAIMER to be released this April by Doubleday.

RK's style is fluid, pacey and vigorous. There's no lazy writing here encumbered by adverbs, adjectives and dialogue tags that so many 'bestselling' established authors have succumbed to.

The writing and structure propel you through the psychological drama with the aid of 57, relatively short, chapters which keep you turning the pages  as Knight layers her characters and reveals her story with multiple points of view and two timelines. Sounds complicated? Perhaps, but surrender to the confident writing and storytelling of a major new talent, you're in very safe hands.

A terrific story-line is populated by well-developed characters at a pace that'll easily allow you to finish the entire work in one sitting.

I'm not going to give away any plot spoilers beyond the book's pitch: 

What if you realized the book you were reading was all about you?

Knight now joins a list of elite Alumnae from Faber Academy including:  SJ Watson, Rachel Joyce, Colette McBeth, Laline Paull and Antonia Honeywell, with more to follow.

I am certain this will be the big seller this summer and I look forward to Knight's next novel.