The Kitchen Diaries have finished, volumes one and two, and I have been following them for the last two years with 'Letters to Nigel Slater'. My plan right now is to try and get them into book form if I can find an agent and publisher who will have me, as, at long last there are hopefully 'enough words'....I can't tell you what an achievement that in itself means to me personally.
In the mean time, I am planning to carry on writing 'Letters to Nigel Slater' but with a few changes which I hope you will enjoy. I am busy thumbing through my new little copy of 'Eat' which, although I've had for a couple of months or so, refused to look at whilst I was still writing from 'The Kitchen Diaries' as I didn't want a cross of influence: It was like waiting for Christmas as a child - feeling all over the wrapped present and trying to guess what's inside. So, present unwrapped, I'm really pleased to find, as usual, something of an echo in the way I want to cook Today. Simply, quickly, with flavour and soul. Thank you, Nigel.
So, my plan is to carry on writing my usual posts from somewhere deep, deep in the middle of nowhere to 'Our man in London' - Nigel; and dipping in and out of 'Eat' to follow recipes for Dinner. If I can organise a techie teenager - or even a six year old - I will attempt to photograph said meals and add them to my posts. This is part one of the plan. The other part is to try and interleave these with a fictional character and story as 'A guest at my table'. This is all a bit untried and tested and I'm entering new territory so I hope you'll bare with me whilst I iron out any teething troubles. If all else fails we can go back to the old formula, but I'd like to extend your horizons, and mine, and see if this is possible. Were I writing 'a book' then this conversation would be immaterial since the finished copy would never reach the shelves unless it was cast iron; but to create something new from nothing minute by minute as we go along is both exciting and very frightening. Let's see....
Dickens wrote his books in serial installments, and, whilst not planning to emulate the great man in any way, I hope you will keep coming back for more. Thank you to everyone for all your support, tweets and comments. Any feedback - good or bad - would be most welcome. I hope you continue to enjoy 'Letters to Nigel Slater'.
I've been following for a long while and wondered what you would do at the end of the diaries ~ short of persuading himself to write another year, which would be excellent, Nigel, if you are reading.
ReplyDeleteI hope you find a publisher soon and I'll continue to follow your cooking adventures in the mean time.
Thank you Pat, I hope you enjoy the new dimension and the photos which will inevitably show that I am just an ordinary home cook, like most of my readers.
Deletegood luck with your book - I've loved your letters and wish you every success - I'll buy a copy! Whatever you write I will keep reading.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rosie, this is what I want to hear. Best wishes, Martha
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