This is an interesting time to be a lover of words. We sit poised, the rhetoric of the campaigns still ringing in our ears, yet all the while aware that within days every nuance of every stated principle will be torn apart, whether by fish knife or meat cleaver.
The political speeches turn to political epitaphs; forensic dissection of character as revealed through language and gesture.
Like most of us I find this fascinating, but would hate to put myself through it. Nick Clegg revealed on the campaign trail that he had once written an (‘embarrassingly bad’) novel, and Douglas Hurd penned political thrillers such as Scotch on the Rocks (co-written with Andrew Osmond) and Vote to Kill.
Disraeli of course combined politicking and novel writing, but are writers more than usually underepresented among those who seek election? I think we should be told...
All best, Alison
Alison Baverstock is the author of Marketing your book, an author’s guide (A&C Black) and is course leader of the MA Publishing at Kingston University.
She is speaking at the Writers' & Artists' Insider Guide to How to Get Published conference on Saturday 19 June. Places are limited so early booking is advised »
Her latest book, How to Get a Job in a Museum or Art Gallery (A&C Black), is out now.
Talking of 'reveal-all' biographies, I just went to see The Ghost at the cinema. It has made me want to seek out the Robert Harris thriller on which it was based. I hear it's pretty good - has anyone read it?
That depends. Barack Obama was a writer. Many politicians write books at some point in their lives. But they are definately a small percentage of the whole and almost always on the higher political echelons. At least it seems that way. The few books that mayors and councilpeople write rarely ever get widely noticed.