Cinnamon Press

Small miracles from distinctive voices

Cinnamon Blog

Launching White Space

Carol Baxendale at the launch of White Space, interviewed by George Szirtes

Carol celebrated the publication of her debut novel, White Space, at Earlham Library, Norwich, on the 12th August. The book launch was a great success thanks to the generous support of the poet George Szirtes, who interviewed her. They met up some days before to discuss talking points. He suggested which characters she should focus on in the story, and to ask herself why Tracey Emin – as a kind of ghost, appearing now and then – was so important to the main character.

George and Carol taught many years ago at Norwich University of the Arts (or Norwich Art School as it was then), and enjoyed talking about the importance of art in the book – ‘Art as interpretation of personal history,’ as he put it.

Thanks also go to the manager and librarians at Earlham library for arranging the book launch, sending out a booking link and online poster, and making the event a lovely experience. A huge thanks to Jacqui Fenn for selling books, leaving Carol free to focus on signing and talking to those who came along and to Karen Whiterod for taking photos and filming during the discussion.

The event was nicely rounded off with a gathering outside, watching the shadows of the eclipse on the arch above the door.

Find out more about White Space and get your copy here

 

Launching Overlapping Circles in Bristol

It’s wonderful to see Cinnamon Press books going out into the world and Louise Ellis recently launched Overlapping Circles at Waterstones, Clifton in Bristol, the setting for this compelling novel set in the 80s.

Louise sends a big thank you to all those who came to the launch, a lovely mix of family, friends, and kindred spirit book lovers and a huge thanks to the team at Waterstones Clifton for hosting the event.

The launch opened with Louise sharing stories of growing up in Bristol in the 1960s, roller skating down hills and playing in bomb craters left over from WW2, as wells as experiences of trip hop and the rave scene in the 1990s.

Then a reading from the novel.  The story is told by both of the main characters, with alternating chapters as they describe their experiences of falling in love, and navigating their problems while trying to embark on a relationship.

Louise read the part of Anna, while her nephew ,Henry Garrett, an actor whose credits include The Son with Pierce Brosnan, Poldark and Peaky Blinders, read the part of Billy.

Prosecco flowed, and the evening ended with a Q&A about creating characters, writing routines, keeping motivated and the publishing industry. Plus, the exciting news of a sequel currently in progress. Anna and Billy’s journey definitely has further to go…!

There’s a short excerpt of the book’s opening below — notice how Louise builds character through voice, her descriptions, her interior hopes. If you’d like to read on you can find the book here as well as at online book retailers or to order from your local indie bookshop.

And you’ll also find below some celebratory images of the launch and an excerpt from a local review.

Overlapping Circles excerpt

Launching A Crack in the Map, At the Heart’s Farthest Edge & Sparky

On a midsummer evening with sweltering temperatures in the UK and EU and cooler over in Canada, we gathered to celebrate and launch 3 books that move from fiction to memoir with some blurred edges along the way, with readings from Alexina Dalgetty, Jan Fortune and Tracey Iceton. Sparky (the eponymous barn owl) also sent us a beautiful video. If you missed the event or would like to watch it again, you’ll find it below