Primadonnatastic
The Primadonna Festival describes itself as: ‘A uniquely anarchic and joyous festival of everything creative’ and it was certainly that and so much more. I am still buzzing from the most brilliant summer weekend in Suffolk. After eighteen months of being locked down, it was so liberating to be able to attend a live event, to speak to live audiences, to meet real life writers, comedians and musicians and to boogie the night away in a barn to the best Northern Soul disco set ever. You can visit the Primadonna website to find out more. Meanwhile, here’s what me, Cally & Jimmy got up to in pictures…
Ready for the off – very excited to be getting out in ‘real life’
We workshopped in the Farm Barn on the Saturday – plotting a brand new twintastic tale for Cally & Jimmy on our ‘human’ story mountain
The who, the where, the when, the why, the what? If in doubt, make a human story mountain
People came to the Waterstones Bookshop for signed copies – including actual twins Josh & Harry and fellow Cypriot writer Christy Lefteri
Oh to be as brilliant as her!
I enjoyed listening to Christy Lefteri’s session on plot – the grown-up version of our story mountain workshop
Christy Lefteri also spoke on a panel about what defines the idea of ‘home’ in our writing – a theme also strongly running through my memoir Tea and Baklavas. I’m keen to read Florence Olajide’s memoir Coconut too
Here with super-clever and all round very nice person, debut middle grade author Elle McNicholl – another writer I can hugely relate to and admire, with her award winning A Kind of Spark and her new book Show Us Who You Are
Enjoyed Sandi Toksvig and Grace Dent in conversation – I’m also looking forward to reading my signed copies of their memoirs Between the Stops and Hungry
The gorgeous Abigail Mann – we met at Primadonna 2019 when we were both starting out and reunited here in 2021 now with two books each. Well done Abigail. I loved The Lonely Fajita and can’t wait to read The Sister Surprise
The Ents were so much fun too – especially the DD Disco in the Engine Room – Deb Googe and Debbie Smith – Tuuuuunnnneeesss!!!!
My fabulous pal and top writing buddy – author Callie Langridge 
Debbie Smith – thank you so much for the best boogie I’ve had in what seems like forever
So much to see and do – thanks especially to Catherine Riley and all the Primadonnas for making it happen
That’s me! … well I like to think so anyway…
