I work at the top of the house in the converted loft, so have plenty of light. From the skylights I can see houses, gardens and the tops of trees. On the odd days when high summer comes, the room turns into an oven and I flee to the library.
My writing table is under the window.
The Windsor chair was my dad’s. He worked for Leeds Corporation and rescued this chair from the salvage depot – a recycler before anyone had heard of the word. The string hanging from the chair is for the amusement of cats.
The computer table and little cabinet are from IKEA. My sister and I spent hours and hours assembling them. I now know that the two most important words in the English language are “comes assembled”.
The picture on the left is Separating Thoughts by Sharon Yamamoto. A woman is combing her hair – one side blue, one side red. She has a circle of orange light on her forehead. A friend bought this for me when the first Kate Shackleton book was published and told me this would be appropriate, “as you divide yourself into two people.” The other is a snow scene, copied by my godmother from a Christmas card.
Interesting and certain relationship between photography and writing-my dad was a pro photographer and coud see and capture through the lense what I attempt to communicate with words. I remember as a small child watching him in his darkroom splicing together two negatives of a high school band so that it would appear to be one long photo. The point at which they met had to be exact so that no piece of an arm, hat, boot, instrument or the tinest piece of clothing would be lost. His work was amazing to me. I am at this point with the beginning of the second novel in my sequel-the points must meet at the exact point-nothing must be lost. I wish my dad was here to give me a hand!
Thanks for telling me this Myra. What a fascinating story about your dad, and the link between his craftsmanship and art and yours. I bet he would be pleased, and proud of you. Wonder whether you will give voice to some of the characters in his photographs.