I really enjoyed this Monday’s meeting and the opportunity to discuss not only the novel but also the poetry. Both discussions were excellent and varied – it’s great to have a broad range of views and the chance to air them. Plus I found that I was rethinking aspects of the novel and not just having my prejudices confirmed – which is always good! The poetry discussion was utterly uplifting and have felt high on it ever since Monday – that could partly be the excellent coffee of course! Look forward to seeing you on April 12th when we will be discussing Per Petterson’s Out Stealing Horses. I’ll also bring some poems, as requested – was thinking I will bring some work from a couple of local writers if that’s OK. Probably Anne Stevenson and Gillian Allnutt – both great poets. But open to suggestions! 
How is it going with the book? Hope you are all enjoying it – I’m looking forward to our discussion. The way authors manage multiple plot threads is always interesting – do you find yourself particulalry interested in one of the characters? Do you find some of the settings more convincing than others? I admire Sarah Hall’s prose and her ability to adapt it to each of her scenarios in this novel.
Hope you have also had a chance to look at a Jane Draycott poem or two – but don’t worry if not, I will bring copies and we can spend a little time pondering them. Should be an interesting night!
I re
ally enjoyed our first meeting in lovely Leonard’s Coffee House and thought the discussion was excellent. I’m looking forward to our next get together on March 8th. Hope you are all enjoying the Sarah Hall – quite a different read from the last book, but equally absorbing and enjoyable I hope you agree.
I will bring along some copies of poems from Over by Jane Draycott for us to look at also. I think she is a wonderful poet, and look forward to discussing her work with you all.
Welcome to the new Durham book group, held in the very lovely Leonard’s cafe in Fowler’s Yard – where the coffee is excellent and the cakes are really beyond tempting. This group will be held from 6pm-7.30pm on the second Monday of the month – the first one is on Feb 8th, when we will be discussing What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn. Please come along and join us: you will get a membership card which entitles you to various perks, plus the opportunity to discuss books, life and everything.
The group will feature a mix of fiction and poetry and our first meeting is on 8 February, when the book under discussion is What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn, which won the prestigious First Novel Award at the 2008 Costas. The book is about a disparate group of characters coming together over a missing girl and features a woman detective with a monkey on her shoulder! If you would like to join the group, contact durhambookgroup@newwritingnorth.com or phone 0191 233 3850.