A Reading Life, A Writing Life, with Sally Bayley

The podcast explores the use of visual references in writing, with a focus on a painting of a farrier. The speaker reflects on the role of writers as ghostly observers and the importance of silence in a noisy world.

Sally is reading A Field Guide to Reality, the debut novel by the Granta Best of Young British author Joanna Kavenna, originally published in 2016 and set in a surreal, quantum alternative Oxford University.  Sally will be in conversation with Joanna Kavenna and fellow writer Elizabeth Lowry at Blackwell's Bookshop in Oxford, from 6pm on September 5th. They will discuss many of the themes of the podcast; reading, writing and the intersection with life and living - and it's free to attend! More details here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/s-bayley-e-lowry-and-j-kavenna-a-reading-life-a-writing-life-tickets-688044298017 You can find out more about Joanna's writings here: http://www.joannakavenna.com/ And Elizabeth Lowry here: https://elizabethlowry.co.uk/          

Starting a new book is like starting a new relationship, and Sally is reading Elizabeth Lowry's The Chosen, a ghost story and a love story about Thomas Hardy and his estranged wife.  Sally will be in conversation with Elizabeth Lowry and fellow writer Joanna Kavenna at Blackwell's Bookshop in Oxford, from 6pm on September 5th. They will discuss many of the themes of the podcast; reading, writing and the intersection with life and living - and it's free to attend! More details here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/s-bayley-e-lowry-and-j-kavenna-a-reading-life-a-writing-life-tickets-688044298017 Elizabeth Lowry's The Chosen has been shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. You can find out more here: https://elizabethlowry.co.uk/ You can find out about Joanna Kavenna, who is also appearing in the event, here: http://www.joannakavenna.com/        

The podcast explores the life and works of writer W.G. Sebald, discussing his writing style and use of photographs. They also discuss reading and writing approaches, the impact of books on readers, and the issue of dumbing down in education.

Just a short announcement by Sally about an exciting event coming up - recorded with the help of Magnificent Maeve Magnus.

Reflections on the isolation and longing of a neighbor who lived upstairs, contrasting experiences of being seen or unseen in life, exploring the mysterious nature of Mrs Robinson and her love and presence.

Sally Bayley launches her new book, feeling the pressure while her neighbors are away. She finds solace in reading Robinson Crusoe and relates to its psychological ups and downs. Sally reflects on the importance of willpower, determination, and paying attention. The podcast also explores the isolation experienced by writers and compares it to the solitude of Robinson Crusoe. The power of journaling and the impact of writing on mental health are discussed.

Something different for this episode - Sally interviews writer Will Self about his latest book of essays, Why Read. They discuss not just why we read, but how we read; digital reading versus physical books; and Will discusses the writers who had a formative effect on him, including Lewis Carroll, Franz Kafka and W.G. Sebald. The event took place at Blackwell's Bookshop in Oxford. Our thanks to Will and to Blackwell's. You can find out more about Will Self's book here: https://will-self.com/why-read/    

In this episode, Sally reads extracts from her forthcoming book The Green Lady, a literary coming of age story. She explores haunting characters and the significance of keeping notebooks to capture them. The author reflects on maternal figures in her life and contemplates her own aging as a writer. Conversations about ghosts and compressed spaces are discussed, highlighting the importance of containing creativity.

Sally treads old familiar pathways through fields of corn and wheat in Sussex, very close to the place she grew up. Her thoughts are with Charlotte Brontë, who wrote haunting poems about her own complex, equivocal feelings towards her childhood and the place she grew up. Sally reads the famous opening passage from Brontë's novel Jane Eyre. Jane, an unwanted orphan who retreats into the world of books was a pivotal figure in Sally's psychological development as a young teenager. Charlotte Brontë (1816 to 1855) was the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who lived to adulthood. She lived a life marked by personal struggle, frustrations, loss and grief. Jane Eyre was published in 1847 under a male pseudonym. It was a highly original book, with strong autobiographical elements, initiating a genre of its own, the "governess novel".  The three sisters - Charlotte, Emily and Ann - had published their poems in 1846, the year before Jane Eyre, also pseudonymously. The poems which Sally reads in this episode are Regret, Winter Store, and Evening Solace. After the success of Jane Eyre, Charlotte stopped writing poems. You can find out more about her poetry here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/charlotte-bronte In the first of her anti-memoir series, Girl With Dove, Sally writes in detail about her relationship with the character of Jane Eyre as she was growing up in very difficult circumstances: https://sallybayley.com/girl-with-dove The producer of the podcast is Andrew Smith: https://www.fleetingyearfilms.com The extra voice in this episode is Emma Fielding. Thanks to everyone who has supported us so far. Special thanks go to Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.