The Writers at Work scheme is in its third year – a fizzing mix of up-and-coming writers and those doing great things on less visible platforms. This year Ian McEwan came in to speak to us. He told us about the ‘knight’s move’ of creativity – when you make a particularly unusual sidestep to take the narrative in a new direction or simply change the landscape by being agile. Simon Armitage told stories of hanging around his wife’s office asking her questions, because ‘I’m a poet so I don’t have much to do’. And Amanda Prowse outlined her astonishing writing process – every book arrives fully formed in her head, ‘as if someone has downloaded it into my brain’. This is the moment when you put the notebook down and applaud.
Everyone has a Hay highlight and mine was seeing Dara O’Briain. Comedians don’t get praised enough for the technical brilliance of their writing. Being able to spin a story in ways that the audience consistently relates to but does not see the twist coming is the same skilful ‘knight’s move’ that a great novelist employs. O’Briain told an Australian reporter that a highlight of his life was when Stephen Hawking signed one of his books with his thumb. Phone line distortion and a Wicklow accent meant that days later he opened the Sydney Morning Herald and read that the great scientist had signed his book ‘with his tongue’. Just lick here, Professor.
Mark Blayney was a Hay Writer at Work in 2016 and 2017. His fiction Doppelgangers and poetry Loud music makes you drive faster are published by Parthian.