It’s been a while since I wrote a blog here, on my website. There are a number of reasons for this: firstly I wrote two other blogs/article on a monthly basis. You may be aware that I write a monthly post for the award-winning Felixstowe Magazine App in the form of a column called PENspiration. My column always addresses something creative, mostly to do with writing, and I usually interview an author or creative as part of that. I have interviewed some wonderful local and national/international creatives and authors, both new and famous. In fact, I’ve got a list of people waiting to be interviewed. Here’s the link to this wonderful magazine which I recommend you check out. It’s great if you are local to East Anglia, as it is based in Felixstowe, but it’s an interesting read even if you are not. click HERE to find it. (It’s even easier to get the app on your phone, and you can easily submit an article or story.) I also write for AUthor’s Electric, on the 29th of every month – not February except in a leap year though!
As the weather begins to bring Spring, this month is as busy fas ever for me creatively, but as you can see from the header photograph, I am participating as a delegate in the important United Nations Women 2025 conferences. I thought this was an amazing opportunity, but I have realised now that I probably needed to take two weeks off all other work to participate as fully as I would like to as there are so many meetings and agendas that it is difficult to keep up with it all. It’s an excellent experience and opportunity, but now I understand more about it, I would like to do it next year and be able to join a lot more of the meetings.
That’s just ONE of the projects I am on this March. I’m also rehearsing for a play about the development of Bawdsey Radar in Suffolk, ‘Operation Radar’, by the indomitable Suzanne Hawkes. Black and White Productions has timed this well- it’s the 90th Anniversary of its development this year, and we’ll be touring it in the Autumn to some of the relevant locations. Arguably, it helped to win the war and it was developed right here in the area where I live. The play is on at Two Sisters Arts Centre from 2nd April for one week. Links to tickets and all events at 2 sisters, click HERE.
In December, I wrote my fourth book, but my FIRST novel, Burnt Lungs and Bitter Sweets. (published by Urban Pigs Press) The story pulls no punches, entering on four young men and their friendship and antics as punk rockers from 1976 to 2024. They are all quite dysfunctional drug addicts and it is quite dark, but believe it or not also funny. (Tragi-comedy) Here’s the amazon link: CLICK HERE, where you can read all about it. However, it’s also available in Waterstones online, and DIAL LANE BOOKS. Soon it will be available in other independent bookshops and I’ll be appearing at 3 festivals this year: Felixstowe book festival, (26th July) a new book festival at Sproughton (6th July) and the Foreword Fringe Festival in August. The other great opportunity this book has afforded me is that it has enabled me to work in prison. I’ll be joining the HMP Warren Hill book club on 19th March to hear what the inmates think of my book, and I will be at the more open prison, Hollesley Bay, in April. Here’s an audio recording of a radio interview which took place on Suffolk Sound with Georgy Jamieson earlier this month:
And above is just one of the stories in the media about my book, which was launched at Dial Lane.
My current writing project is going far more slowly. I always have a few things on the go: a second book of supernatural stories is nearly complete and the third book of poems is halfway there. I am hoping that these will be out by the Summer. I’ve got three novel ideas underway, but the one I am concentrating on is about a guy called Johnny and it is set in the 90s. I’m using my time at Warren Hill to speak to prisoners and officers about the experience of sentencing and incarceration, as some of the new novel is set in a prison. It has its comic moments, but I think it will be a longer and perhaps darker story than the previous one in some ways. But my ‘urban grit’ novels will always have a playlist soundtrack to go with them. Burnt Lungs and Bitter Sweets is also available to hear on Spotify and I list the tracks at the back of the book I was lucky enough to get some endorsements from Jane Savage (brit pop legend in charge of Suede and Blur to name but two), Georgy Jamieson, Winnie M Li, and a few others. I you do happen to read it, I’d love a review – Some people have left excellent reviews, but Reviews really are gold to indie authors and just a couple of lines takes only minutes to do on Goodreads, Amazon or another site. Even a message to me is much appreciated.
Finally, I will be working with the ‘Punk Poet’, James Domestic on March 30th and May 23rd, appearing in Sudbury Brewery Tap Details HERE and Two Sisters for a poetry show. The Two Sisters event is supported by Sci-fi poet, AJ DEANE and ‘Neuroshiny’ Dawn Vincent. Links to 2 sisters tickets HERE. It promises to be a very entertaining and lively show.
Well, that’s just about it for this month. I am currently reading Frances Quinn’s new book, The lost Passenger, so I am hoping to sneak in a few more pages today!
Love, Virginia. xx
Virginia Betts 