Hi everyone!
This week’s #SJsTwitterBookClub featured author Fiona Barton (@figbarton), who popped by to talk about her writing, and in particular her wonderful debut “The Widow”.
To kick off, I asked Fiona if she would give us a spoiler-free, tweet-length introduction to the book: “Story of a marriage with secrets and a missing child. Told by the widow of the main suspect and a nosy reporter looking for a scoop.”
The Shipman trial really drew me in
She told us that she used to work as a journalist and would sit in court “…covering murder trials and was fascinated by the wives/girlfriends/mothers of the men in the dock. I wanted to know if they were hearing the full details of what their loved one was accused of for the first time. And what that must feel like.” I asked if the book was inspired by a particular case, and she said, “The Shipman trial really drew me in. The relationship between Dr Shipman and his wife, Primrose was fascinating. She wasn’t just married to him, she was the receptionist at his surgery. But she remained loyal - and silent.”
We also talked about how she became a writer. She said she’d been “…a passionate reader since Swallows and Amazons when I was about five. I cannot imagine a day when I don’t read (even if it’s the back of a cereal packet).”
(Click on the tweet to be taken to the discussion)
It was a fascinating conversation about a wonderful book. If you haven’t read it, then do so now!
That was the last #SJsTwitterBookClub of 2021, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the brilliant authors who’ve joined in to chat to readers. In January we kick off with Fiona Cummins (@FionaAnnCummins) and we'll be talking about her brilliant debut, RATTLE. That's Thursday 6th January at 7pm (UK time).
Happy reading!