Joanna Trollope
Tuesday 22 March was a real treat at Diocesan when we were privileged to host well-known English author, Joanna Trollope.
Famous for her best selling first novel The Rector’s Wife, she was interviewed by Carroll du Chateau, former Herald editor and currently a speech writer for our Prime Minister, the Rt Hon John Key.
Joanna has recently launched her new book, Daughters-in-Law, in New Zealand. The book has hit the top of the best seller list in the United Kingdom.
Carroll talked to Joanna about her inspiration for writing and asked about whether the characters in her novels were based on real people. Joanna said that for ethical reasons, she did not base her books on real people or events. She stated that she was fortunate to have a public forum and did not take such liberties.
Joanna is the eldest of three children, born during the war years, she completed her education with a degree in Literature from Oxford. She takes about nine months to write a novel, although many take much longer to "simmer in the intellectual compost". She writes her novels long hand and spends a great deal of time planning the characters, events and the ending. She develops the middle of her novels rather organically, maintaining a balance between the planning and natural evolution as she writes toward the desired conclusion. She develops her characters by first identifying ten to fifteen particular characteristics that they will have so that they are credible and consistent.
Special thanks to our senior girls who ably served our guests tea and coffee in delightfully set china tea sets, accompanied by delicious cakes and sandwiches.
Congratulations to Debbie Burridge, chair of Parents and Friends and to her wonderfully supportive team who organised the event. It was an excellent event and Joanna was a wonderfully inspirational woman who was gracious and entertaining.
