The AWC Summer Read-arounds began on June 26th this year. Sadly, due to an oversight, we didn’t elect a blogger for the evening. However, a bit late in the day, here is my memory of the event. Sorry if I missed anything.
We were a small, select group who met in Chris’s delightful, rustic-framed conservatory. Most people had material to read. As ever, the quality and variety of contributions was a pleasure. Both fiction and nonfiction were read and received useful and thought-provoking feed-back. For nonfiction we had a poignant memoir piece about a lasting family connection with Kilmory. This piece beautifully evoked the scenery, wildlife and sense of community of this Arran village.
Paisley’s long-standing association with the production of cotton thread was the subject of another nonfiction piece, exploring its origins in the 18th century to its heyday and world-wide renown in the 19th. An interesting piece from which, I think, we all learned something new.
Fiction contributions included short stories and the beginning of a novel. The very short story ‘Murder in Mind’ successfully hoodwinked the group with its twist in the tail. The beginning of a longer short story, ‘Complications,’ was intriguing. Felice goes to bed as a young girl and wakes up as a grumpy, young man. Complications indeed!
The opening chapter of a novel featured a seven-year-old’s not too happy impressions of a first day at boarding school. We wait to hear more!
With Chris’s delicious cheesecake at half time, the evening was enjoyed by all.
Maggie Bolton