JULY 2008

I'm pleased to be able to offer something new on the site this time. If you look at the menu you'll see a new navigation button, leading you to Short Stories, Most of the stories you will find listed on the Introductory page were published in magazines like Country Life, The Reader, Woman and Home, New Woman and in themed collections of short stories. Some are unpublished. There was going to be a book but…hey, short stories famously don't sell, so the book project fizzled out. No matter - I thought I would 'publish' the volume here for free..

People often ask me if I'm going to write any more fiction, and the answer is, 'I doubt it.' The six novels I have written were a source of pleasure and pride, but much pain too - and now that I have judged the Orange Prize and see how many novels are produced….well, I think I'll leave it! One of the wonderful things about the internet is the availability of out of print books, so it means your work is still available. The library borrowings go on in a most flattering way, and that's a great feeling. As I said in my last letter if you would like to receive any book of mine, for adults or children, with a personalised inscription, just email me at my paper bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk and we will take it from there. I can offer special prices!

On the subject of fiction, though, the Bonnie series, published by Walker Books, goes on. The newest title is number three - Bad Dog Bonnie, and Brave Dog Bonnie will follow. And after that? Well, I do have plans for the Bonnie 'brand', and my little dog has her own business card now. No kidding. I shall be appearing at the Wigtown Literary Festival in Scotland (September 4th) to talk about these books. And the real Bonnie will probably make an appearance...so do come. (www.wigtown-booktown.co.uk).
Next year we hope to make appearances at other literary festivals, and will keep you informed. You might also like to know that all the royalties from The Voices of Silence (Walker Books) go to Amnesty International, so that's an excellent reason to buy a novel for older children (11-13) - quite apart from the fact that it's an exciting read.

What else is new? Well, my Daily Mail advice column is new - every single week. It's been a year now and I really love the readers, who respond in such a marvellous, positive way to my pages. I read every single letter and email which arrives, so please keep them coming. I only wish I could write a detailed reply to every single letter, but it would mean I’d have to work 24/7.
If you want to look at the archive visit www.dailymail.co.uk/belmooney - and of course, please keep up with the new problems every single Saturday. I've been a journalist for 38 years now, and written for nearly every national newspaper (not to mention many magazines) but I can honestly tell you that I regard my column in the Daily Mail as the most significant thing I have ever done. Just don't call me an 'Agony Aunt' - please!

I've told you before that my husband Robin and I co-own a ski chalet with two business partners. It's a lovely place and bookings for the next season are already going very well, so don't leave it too long. Chalet Broski is in a hamlet near St Martin de Belleville and is stylish and comfortable. Best for me is the sweet, cosy library - perfect for non-skiers (yes, me) or for those who fancy a day off the slopes. You can sit in 'my' chair and read my books! Add a sauna, X-box, home cinema, games, DVD collection, transport to the lifts and great food, and you'll have a perfect holiday. For more information and bookings visit: www.broski.co.uk.

That's all for now. Have a lovely summer - if it arrives!

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Previous Newsletters...

MAY 2008

The new green leaves remind me how out of date my website is - sorry everyone! I simply don't understand how writers as busy being brilliant as Jeanette Winterson (to give just one example) carve out the time to keep their all-singing, all-dancing websites up to date., What's my excuse? Oh, gardening with the husband, playing with the dog, answering SO many problem letters written to me at the Daily Mail...For starters.

Of course, me being one of the judges of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction also got in the way since I last wrote here. Anyone who loves reading as much as I do might rejoice at the prospect of great boxes of free books arriving. Oh, but you become overwhelmed - chiefly by the need to be fair to all those writers, I've written novels and know the sheer slogging pain of the whole damn business. Anyway, if you are interested in the Orange Prize - which is a complete force for good in the way it engenders enthusiasm for reading, and forget all that 'women-only-unfair-blah' stuff - visit the website: www.orangeprize.co.uk

As I said, my Saturday column on the Daily Mail goes from strength to strength. I have never once regretted leaving the Times, and all of my worries about switching newspapers have proved unfounded. Fan of the equivalent column on the Times sometimes come up to me (in Waitrose, often!) and say they miss it. I tell them to read the Saturday Mail - and see that I am writing in exactly the same way, but have far more space. As a writer I should also add that the 'reach' of the Mail in terms of age, class and all such things, is very exhilarating, as is knowing the readership hits the 6 million mark. My first anniversary with the Mail is June 16th. It's gone very quickly. Write to me at the Daily Mail: bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk

I have also decided to offer signed books for sale to anyone interested. So if you would like to purchase any books mentioned on this site, and have it signed to any name with a nice personal message, email me at the Mail and we will take it from there. This is an experiment. I may also be in a position to offer a back catalogue of Radio interviews (luminaries as various as Seamus Heaney, Philip Pullman etc) at some stage soon, so if you are interested let me know.

What else is new? 'Big Dog Bonnie' (Walker Books) has been joined by 'Best Dog Bonnie' - and I have finished 'Bad Dog Bonnie' (August 08) and 'Brave Dog Bonnie' (Feb 09). The books should really be read in order because it is one long story. There the series will probably end. Unless people can suggest single syllable adjectives beginning with B which might describe a little dog! I shall be appearing at the Wigtown Literary Festival in Scotland (September 4th) to talk about these books. And the real Bonnie will probably make an appearance...so do come. (www.wigtown-booktown.co.uk)

This year is the 70th anniversary of Relate - the charity which helps people sort out their relationship problems. I have agreed to be an official Ambassador for Relate because I know, through my work at the Mail, how useful it is. To find out more visit www.relate.org.uk/aboutus/ourambassadorandsupporters.

That's all for the moment. I will try not to leave it for months and months before I update again. Have a wonderful summer.

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OCTOBER 2007

My most important piece of news is that I just married again. On September 8th Robin and I walked down the aisle of Charlcombe church on the edge of Bath, and the sun shone. It was a beautiful ceremony, with wonderful words and music. A happy day.

A lot of people have asked about my dress (there was a picture in Hello and the Mail on Sunday,if you want to know...) so for those who like such information - it was a design cooked up to my instructions by the lovely people at Beatrice von Tresckow in Portobello Road, Notting Hill (www.beatricevontresckow.com) and made specially for me, with a feathery head-dress to match. And because fashion isn't a gender thing, men might like to know that the groom wore Paul Smith.

I thought you'd like to see a photograph.

So now that's done, it's business as usual here. The advice column in the Daily Mail is going very well: I have lovely readers of all ages and love hearing from them, even if the letters are often very sad. The "youngest" letter I have run on the page was from a nine year old, and the oldest from a lady in her eighties. That's what I call a reach! Since over 6 million people read the Saturday Mail it is inevitable that I would receive more letters than I did at the Times - much as I loved writing the column there. If you haven't caught up with the Saturday column have a look at www.dailymail.co.uk.

The first of the new series of Bonnie books has just been published by Walker Books, and Big Dog Bonnie will be followed by Best Dog Bonnie (January) and then, six months later, Bad Dog Bonnie. The fourth, Brave Dog Bonnie will appear in 2009.
After that, who knows?

Walker Books have also just republished "The Voices of Silence", my novel for readers of around 11, which is set in Romania at an exciting, and terrifying time of revolution. All proceeds from the sale of this book go to Amnesty International, so please order it from Amazon - not for me but for Amnesty, whose work is needed more than ever in this troubled world of ours. Events in Burma, for example, are entirely relevant to the story: brave, ordinary people standig up to tyrants and saying "No" - even in front of guns.

If you click on the biography tab and scroll down you will find links to Robin's website and also to the ski chalet which we co-own with two business partners. Come and stay!

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JUNE 2007

Those of you who have been reading me every Wednesday in the Times will probably be disappointed to read that my last column appeared on May 30^th. I have been writing the advice column (and many other features besides) for the Times since May 2005, and have enjoyed every minute – learning much from this new role in life.  Thank you to everybody who wrote, and I sincerely hope you found the column helpful, as well as a good read.

What qualifications did I have for becoming what is popularly called (a phrase I hate!) ‘an agony aunt?’  Well, I suppose you could count 27 years as a journalist, during which I covered poverty, strikes, bereavement, women’s issues, books, people, aging, love, marriage, art…..you name it. Over the years I’ve met so many people, and (I hope) brought the knowledge gained to six one-to-one interview series for television, and 12 for BBC Radio 4. I discovered that (quite simply) I loved listening to people talk and asking quiet questions to make them say more. My children’s books arose from real family life with all its sad and funny moments, and my novels for adults arose from a need to explore some of the more painful aspects of human relationships, whether the love between mother and child (‘Lost Footsteps’) or the ways secrets can afflict our lives (‘The Invasion of Sand’). I should also say that everything I have every written has been informed by all the great novels, poems and works of philosophy I have ever read. Add to all that several dollops of personal pain and… yes…I do believe this totals a ‘qualification’ to give advice to those who ask.

So now to the news. I am moving to the Daily Mail and will be writing a column exactly like my Times one, in the Mail every Saturday. I do hope that some of my Times readers will take a look at the Saturday Mail; it’s a big fat paper but I won’t be lost! There will be many more readers, of course, but I expect the same problems – which means all the varieties of human relationships, from marriage to bereavement. If anyone wants to get in touch with me you can email bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk or write to Bel Mooney, The Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS.

What else is happening?  I shall be writing other features for the Daily Mail, outside the column, and hopefully will continue to review books and write travel pieces for The Times (I really love the Times and can’t begin my day without it), as well as other travel pieces for The Mail on Sunday.

August will see the publication by Walker Books of my new series of children’s books, these inspired by my precious Maltese dog Bonnie – just as, all those years ago the Kitty books were inspired by my real life daughter, Kitty Dimbleby. She grew up and became a journalist, so I looked around for a new heroine – and found her in the tiny dog bed under my desk. If you want to see pictures of Bonnie you can search this site (a clue – look in the ‘Kitty and Friends’ section and go to the Questions). ‘Big Dog Bonnie’ and ‘Best Dog Bonnie’ are illustrated by Sarah McMemeny, and will be followed by ‘Bad Dog Bonnie’ and ‘Brave Dog Bonnie’ next year. So keep an eye out for those in August.

This summer Walker will also reissue ‘The Voices of Silence’ (see in The Next stage) with all proceeds going to Amnesty International. More of that next time.

In Bath, where I live, I am now President of a £4 million appeal to build a brand new, sustainable Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal United Hospital. The current one is far too cramped for modern equipment; those tiny babies and their parents deserve much, much better. So if any one who cares about babies wants to send us £25 or £1million (oh go on, you know you want to!) then write to Bel Mooney, Forever Friends NICU Appeal, The Royal United Hospital, Bath BA1 3NG (www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk)

What else is new? Oh yes, I’m getting married again……but that’s another story.

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FEBRUARY 2007

As usual I've failed dismally to update my website. I'm actually planning on a complete redesign this year - the only trouble being that I never seem to have to time to set that in motion? How do people find the space in which to write their blogs? It's hard enough keeping up with a private daily journal.

The last time I wrote it was to talk about my novel ‘The Invasion of Sand,' which is still out there, for those of you who want to order it from Amazon. Don't you think that being able to buy even out of print books by authors you admire is one of the best things about the internet. And while I wholeheartedly support independent local booksellers there is still something magnificent about the service offered by Amazon.

My famous ‘Kitty’ book for children will gradually go out of print, after over 20 years, but they will still be obtainable on the Internet. Ebay is good for this too. Hard to know how we lived without it.......

But now to the NEW. This year (August) sees my move to Walker books with two new titles: ‘Big Dog Bonnie’ and ‘Best Dog Bonnie.’

I'm very excited about them as they are inspired by my beloved Maltese dog - Bonnie by name and bonny by nature. They tell the story of a little boy called Harry and his Mum, and what happens when Harry's dream comes true. He has always wanted a dog, but not a tiny white fluffy dog.....

You see, Kitty grew up so the stories about her ran out, whereas Bonnie is on my lap as I write this. I thought I would give up writing for children but it's pleasing that the inspiration has come back.

Needless to say, my Wednesday column ‘Life and Other Issues’ in the Times goes from strength to strength. Of all the jobs I have had (think Nova Magazine, contract with the Telegraph Magazine, columns in the Daily Mirror, Listener and Sunday Times - you name it) this is the one I love the most. You know why? Because I know - without a doubt - that it's useful. People write me such lovely letters telling me that have been helped, and that means more to me than I can possible say. It's also encouraging to have readers in the United States, France, Australia and Holland, to name but four. Of course, you can't always identify with email, so there may be more countries. Anyway, I love writing the page - as well as other features for the Times - so keep the letters and emails coming. If you want to read past columns visit www.timesonline.co.uk and enter my name in the search.

KEEP READING!

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NOVEMBER 2005

I have now been writing my problem column (Please don’t use the term ‘Agony Aunt’ as it sets my teeth on edge!) in the wonderful Times (times2) for six months - and want to thank all those who contact me, both those who send problems and all the other kind people who send all the fan mail, as well as intelligent comment. I really do appreciate it. At first I used to feel quite miserable as I read some of the letters, but now - well, it isn’t that I have grown used to it, I just understand more that people find it hard to find a way through the problems in their lives. And, as one lady wrote when thanking me for the published advice, it sometimes takes an outsider to suggest a way to unpick the problem. And that’s all  we can do.....whether qualified counsellors or not. After all, the page is called ‘Life and Other Issues’, and I’ve been dealing with all that as a journalist for over thirty years now.

Anyway, don’t forget, the page appears every Wednesday, and the email address for me there is bel.mooney@thetimes.co.uk. Those of you who don’t live in England should check out www.timesonline.co.uk/women   - although I must emphasise that my page is not just for women, not at all. I receive and publish a lot of letters from men. The only problem I have with the whole thing is not being able to send individual replies, or have the space to cover the range of letters - truly the page could appear twice a week quite easily. But anyway, I love writing it, so keep those problems coming, and don’t forget, I’m interested in all aspects of human relationships, including bereavement.

So what’s new? My first novel for 8 years is published this month. ‘The Invasion of Sand’ is a gritty, very moving story of love and redemption, set in the Australian Outback in the early eighties. The heroine is a feisty Irish barmaid called Bernie Molloy, who carries a secret around with her which has all but destroyed her life. Then into that life come two very different men: the English pilot John Roper and the young Australian drifter called Eddie Carpenter. A fourth key character lives in Liverpool - John Roper’s grandmother Lily Roper, who hold the key to one mystery. This is a world of broken dreams, family secrets...and unlikely love. The ending will have you......Oh, but I won’t give anything away. This novel was praised for its writing but turned down as too ‘dark’ by certain large publishing houses I don’t choose to name. No matter - their loss. I’m very proud of the book - and it may interest you to know that it was inspired by a real life incident which occurred in Alice Springs at the end of the seventies.

This is what the Times review said: ‘..a very ambitious work...This is a moving love story and Mooney writes with insight about learning to be loved again. John’s story is delicately crafted too - we read heartbreaking letters to and from his dying grandmother in Liverpool, as each pretends they are all right.....But the best thing about this Tardis-like novel is the way that Mooney writes about Australianism.....With sparkling humour and experience of travelling in her beloved Australia, Mooney gathers together many elements of what it means to live in a vast, dangerous desert where ancient and modern and constantly locked in a battle of ownership.

(This) is an impressive return to fiction. The ease with which is holds both big ideas and smaller intimacies makes you hope that she won’t leave it so long next time.’

The Invasion of Sand (ISBN 0 7278 6318 5) is available in hardback @ £18.99 from Severn House Publishers Ltd. Copies can be ordered on a firm sale basis at any bookshop, via Amazon.co.uk or direct from the warehouse: Grantham Book Services Ltd. Tel: 01476 541080. I hope all those who like my writing and have been kind enough to say so over the years will maybe order a copy so I can thumb my nose at those publishers!

Next year of course the trade paperback will be in the bookshops - probably in the Spring.

Just before March 2006 (think Mothering Sunday)  Kingfisher Books will publish a terrific collection of stories I have edited called ‘Like Mother, Like Daughter.’ This is  aimed at girls over ten - and I know their mothers will love it too. A varied collection  (funny stories, sad stories, reflective stories, surprising stories) by great English and American writers, all on the theme of the mother-daughter relationship. In the States it will be published as ‘You Never Did Learn to Knock’. One of the stories is by me  - and in it I manage to link my love of America and my passion for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Clever or what?

Advance notice for people in the Bath area - my daughter Kitty Dimbleby (the ‘real’ Kitty, who is now a journalist on the Daily Mail) and I will be making an appearance to discuss this book at the Bath Literature Festival on March 11th 2006. So I hope lots of daughters will turn up, with their mums!

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SUMMER 2006 will see publication of my new Blue Banana book, ‘Who Loves Mr Tubs’ - which is lovely! But of course, I’ll be giving more details nearer the time. Younger fans ask me if there will be any more proper Kitty books, since the last one was ‘Kitty and Friends’, in 2003. The answer is - I don’t know. But my next project is to write my first book for Walker Books, which will have a brand new heroine......

Keep writing and reading, no matter what age you are!

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JULY 2005

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