May 2002

Hello everyone,
I have been delayed for all manner of boring reasons in writing this.
I seem to have so many irons in the fire on the work front I don`t know where to begin. THE WOMAN IN BLACK - the play - is out on a national tour at the moment, and if you are interested and want to know if it is near you, the website for that will carry a list of venues.

I am writing a play for children, which is due to go out on tour in autumn 2003. This is a new venture and great fun. I have written for young children before - several; picture books and stories when my daughters were young - but never a play for younger children. It features a character called Grandmother Nutmeg !
I am also keeping a journal for a year and this will be published in 2003 or 2004 by Chatto and Windus... a journal of a complete year, recording country life, family life, literary life... and what passes for a social life when I stay awake long enough. It focuses one`s observation considerably... I have written journals before - mainly, the country one published as The Magic Apple Tree - but not in this form. Good to write when I am not doing anything lengthy.
But I have just started a play called NIGHT. It somehow turned from a long story into a play while my back was turned. These things happen.. form is fluid, and this is a constant source of surprise and interest.
I have a new short story which is available as a download - I would call it an e-book but it is really an e-story. It is called The Punishment. I write few stories now so decided not to wait to gather them all into a collection though that will be done eventually.

People often ask me what I am reading.. so here is a list of what I have read in the past month and what I am in the middle of.. no real reason behind any of them except the Chaucer, which is to do with the play.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert =irsig. First read and loved when it came out 30 years or so ago, loved again now.
Norwegian Wood. Haruki Murasaki.. the cult Japanese author. He`s amazing.
Don`t Tell Alfred.. Nancy Mitford. Old comfort blanket.
The Spoils of Poynton... Henry James. If you don`t know James, or have found him difficult to get into, read this first. It is not long, and not difficult but is rich in character, suspense, wonderful language, nuance.. everything one values in James.
Troylus and Criseyde.. Chaucer. Not read since I was an undergraduate. To my delight, I can still read Medieval English !

I continue to receive many, many e-mails about my books as set texts... especially I`M THE KING OF THE CASTLE. I do sometimes wish students would actually read it before asking all the questions, and I wish even more that teachers of English would not send me their students with elementary questions they should be answering themselves in their classes.
But occasionally, I receive questions which show real fresh insight... last week, one student wrote asking if I thought the book would have been radically different if I had chosen to make the main characters girls instead of boys. The answer is yes, but in detail, Ihave had to think about it very hard - I`m still thinking.

Finally, on a technical point.. do please send me personal e-mails via the website if you wish but please be patient. I will reply but my server has been down for about 3 days this week. As it is generally very stable and reliable, my confidence has been shaken. incidentally, a lot of people ask what computer I use to write on.. the answer is ' one called pen and paper.' I only use a machine for business etc... I write by hand.

SUSAN HILL