Sunday 30 May 2010

Another piece of the jigsaw of writing and publishing

This is my dear friend Seyda, who until her retirement worked extremely hard as an English teacher in Adana, Turkey. She taught in a Science Academy, where the students were high-flyers and went on to study medicine, engineering, etc. They needed to be fluent in English before starting a university course, so the standard was very high.



Seyda's two daughters were also high-flyers and grew up learning to speak good English as well as studying very hard in all their subjects. In fact, Arzu, her elder daughter, has been teaching English at Bosphorus University in Istanbul for a number of years. Arzu has also found time to research translation, a subject she finds endlessly fascinating. At present we are waiting for her to finish her PhD on a related area. Already she has brought out this book, which casts new light on the role - and manipulation - of translating texts from one language into another.









Thursday 20 May 2010

Fans


The most common fan in the 18th Century was the folding variety based on Chinese models. Unlike their Asian counterparts, however, European fans had elaborately carved and decorated sticks, made of ivory, mother-of-pearl, horn, wood, and tortoise shell. Fan leaves were made of vellum and paper and were both hand painted and printed.



A Vernis Martin fan of the early Eighteenth Century.


In 1709, Sir Richard Steele commented in The Tatler that "the fan is the armour of women" and "the men's minds are constructed by the waving of that little instrument...our thoughts in composure or agitation according to the motion of it".

The language of the fan could be understood by both sexes and was an important means of communication. A quick gesture conveyed a silent message that could escape the attention of a chaperone or a jealous spouse. Thus, drawing the fan across your left cheek indicated 'I love you' or letting it rest on the right cheek meant 'yes'. Touching the tip of the fan with one finger meant 'I wish to talk to you' but holding the closed fan with your little finger extended meant 'goodbye'. There is a long list of what the various gestures mean - no wonder the gentlemen were in 'composure or agitation' at social gatherings as they sought to decide their ladies' mood on that evening.

It was considered acceptable for a gentleman to offer a fan as a gift to a lady, perhaps at Christmastime. Many of these were works of art, with pierced and gilded ivory or mother of pearl sticks and guards, and delicately painted leaves of paper, embroidered muslin or lace.  


Click on this link : The language of the Fan  
to be taken to a charming video on the language of the fan by 
author Brandy Vallance 


                                     File:Hand fan 1815 1820.jpg

Blond horn brisé hand fan with steel dots applied. It is a typical exemple
 of the early decades of 19th century.




Friday 23 April 2010

St George's Day

Today is a bright sunny day, and the trees are covered in clouds of pink and white blossom or else tender pinkish and palest green leaves. The gardens are bright with tulips and violets. A perfect English Spring day to celebrate St George.



It's amazing how very universal he is. Images of George slaying the dragon can be found all the way from England through the Balkans into Greece, Turkey, Syria and beyond. There is a link to the routes taken by waves of crusaders but maybe St George is popular everywhere for being a warrior and a hero. What could be more romantic?

He has also become entwined with local customs and legends, so that he is associated with a variety of traditions. On Buyuk Ada, the largest of the Princes' Islands close to Istanbul, there is a monastery dedicated to St George [Aya Yorgi ] on top of the highest hill. On 23rd April, any girl who wants to find a husband, will walk up the final kilometre barefoot, unwinding a reel of cotton as she goes. If her cotton is long enough and does not break before she reaches the church on the hilltop, she will get her husband within the year.



PS After reaching the church and going in to light a candle, examine all the pictures and hangings and writing a wish to put in the wish box, everyone heads off to the open air restaurant on the very crown of the hill. It's a fact that a simple meal here tastes like the finest feast, due to the fresh air, the sense of achievement at getting to the top and the splendid views across the sea to Istanbul in the distance.

Monday 12 April 2010

VENETIA and later

After joining in the Riskies' readalong of Georgette Heyer's Venetia, I began to wonder [as I always did on reaching the end of a story I'd enjoyed]... what did happen to them all.


So here's my version.

Damerel married Venetia by Special Licence six weeks after she had finally convinced him she understood what she was doing. He whisked her off on a prolonged tour of Europe [with the first stop in Paris for the purchase of dashing new clothes] and the Mediterranean. It was a dream journey for two people very much in love and able to understand each other's ideas so well.

Aubrey joined them when they visited Italy and Greece. In Athens they met various families involved in excavations and the preservation of ancient artefacts. The bluestocking daughter of one such family became a great friend of Aubrey's, a relationship which blossomed - but that's another story....

Eventually, Venetia and Damerel took up residence at the Priory, where renovations and improvements slowly turned it into a comfortable home. With Venetia's experience in land management, rents improved and Damerel eventually rebuilt his fortune. He was much inspired in this work by the birth of two lovely daughters and a son.

The rose garden was Venetia's special place. It became a perfumed outdoor room, a delight for the senses. When they were not absent on one of their many journeys of exploration, it was here that she and Damerel liked to walk every afternoon to recall their first meetings and all the events of a full and happy marriage.

Tuesday 30 March 2010

Lisbon

Lisbon is a delightful city to visit. It has a historic centre that is unusually harmonious. After the earthquake of 1755 threw down everything except the eastern, Moorish quarter, the centre was rebuilt on a grid pattern. The wide avenues and large houses remain largely unchanged from that period, creating a peaceful, pleasant setting. There are many enormous squares, all paved [like the streets] in tiny black and white cobbles and with impressive fountains playing. The town then grew westwards with fine villas and state buildings added. However, it is still a comfortably small city.

You cannot go far in Lisbon without going steeply up or downhill. But if your legs get tired, the public transport is a dream - clean, frequent and cheap, whether it's buses, trams or the Underground.

At the back of the tram is a small notice : Passengers-20 seated, 38 standing. Even fully loaded, these trams cruise smoothly up and down the hills along tiny, winding alleys.

In early March the sun shines, even if the air is still chilly. The many trees and shrubs are putting out their first blossoms. The buildings rise in coloured tiers on the hills that make up the city. To the east, Alfama shows it's origin as the oldest, Moorish town in its narrow, winding alleys, tiny squares and flights of steps where  the hills are too steep for a road. Above it is the Castelo di Sao Jorge, originally Moorish but much enlarged by the Portuguese kings and now a focal point from every part of the city.



The River Tagus is incredibly wide and offers tremendous scope for commercial and tourist ports. A number of ferries operate for those people who live south of the river. My next story begins when my hero arrives in Lisbon in 1808, so of course I needed to approach the town as he would have done - from the water. Research like this is a very pleasant pastime especially when the Portuguese people are so friendly and helpful.


Friday 19 March 2010

A big thrill

Today I'm feeling very pleased because of a trip to my local Waterstone's bookshop. Lo and behold my own stories were there - not just one but several copies of my books on the shelf. That has really made my day.


I write adventure romance tales set in Regency times. They are published by Robert Hale and Hale hardbacks are not often seen on the shelves in bookshops. You can find them in libraries or order them from Robert Hale, Amazon or The Book Depository.
So at the moment, I'm walking on air. The photo is to reassure myself I didn't dream it.

                       

Saturday 27 February 2010

Inspiration

Anything and anyone can be a source of inspiration for a character. If it's a question of a beautiful mouth, this one is ideal. The lips form a perfect bow.





This is Mahsun Kirmizigül, a Turkish singer, song-writer and film maker.