A photograph never lies. Except when it's an author's mugshot. In their publicity photos, authors are always younger, more glamorous, more broodingly intellectual.
So I thought I'd show you my desk, instead.
Is it more revealing than a grainy B&W portrait of me staring off into the middle distance? Well, here's some more information:
| date: | 21 Jan 2005 |
| location: | Corner of the bedroom, Brightlingsea, Essex, UK. |
| recent and new: | Incubus (a Nick Gifford novel, 3 Feb 2005) "A Different Sky" (in Constellations, ed Peter Crowther, 31 Jan 2005) |
| work-in-progress: | The Unlikely World of Faraway Frankie (a novel for
teenagers; notes scattered across the desk). Erased (a Nick Gifford novel; editor's notes from Puffin). This website (on-screen). |
| what you can see: | |
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In addition to the notes and newly-published books, there's... A selection of curios spread below the monitor (a nodding armadillo, a stretchy man bought for me by Jeff VanderMeer during a memorable stay in Robin Hood's Bay, a rude statuette, assorted animals, a picture frame made by one of my daughters for my birthday). The printed schedule for what's up-coming on infinity plus (Justina Robson and Neil Williamson up next). An address book, thus giving myself three places to hold out-of-date addresses for people (the other two are on the computer and on my Palm Pilot). Back-up disks (Zip and CD). A smiling wooden buddha, be-decked with rubber bands, a dangling-but-broken calculator and a monkey's fist. Envelopes, even though I do most of my correspondence electronically these days. A scanner, with a paper-trimmer on top. A card from my good friend Toshi. |
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| what you can't quite see: | |
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A curious bird made from scrap metal, looking like something out of The Clangers. A chubby buddha, painted rather gaudily. On the wall above the desk: an African mask; a Kevin Cullen illustration for one of my stories; Dominic Harman's cover art for Parallax View. On the wall to the left of the desk: a selection of B&W print-outs from the location research for Nameless. Loads of bookshelves, and towering piles of books on any available surface. My electric guitar and practice amp. Card folders and boxes full of print-outs of my work. Cover roughs for various of my books. Knitted tortoise. |
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