‘Radio, Readings and Memoirs …’
You can tune into my readings of my novel ‘Shakespeare’s Clock’ (published by Cranthorpe Millner) on Marlow FM 97.5 radio here: www.marlowfm.co.uk/listen-again/ Good Morning Marlow, Friday 29th April at 10.40 am.
Or the interview and reading is available on the Home Page of my website.
Thrilled to say 516 copies of the pandemic anthology ‘When This Is All Over …’ published by Creative Ink Publishing for the Rennie Grove Hospice Care have been sold. You can buy here: https://amzn.to/3xi8iay
And a similar amount for my novel ‘Shakespeare’s Clock’ have been sold. Available on Amazon and here:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/shakespeares-clock/jan-moran-neil/9781912964635
https://www.cranthorpemillner.com/product/jan-moran-neil-shakespeares-clock/
https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/fiction-poetry/shakespeares-clock,jan-moran-neil-9781912964635
I will be running a ‘Writing Memoir’ workshop at the Chalfont St Giles & Jordans Literary Festival on Friday 20th May and all the info’ is here: www.chalfontstgilesliteraryfestival.org.uk
I believe some places are still available.

‘Sunday Shoes’ by Jan Moran Neil

Thabisa, she like to hide things we know.
She only two years old.

Last Sunday Gogo Phindiswa say,
‘Your new shoes gone? Gonna be late to pray.’

Gogo Phindwisa she the one in control.
Thabisa she only two years old.

Thabisa, she never like them cast off shoes.
I think Thabisa choose to lose.

Thabisa she go to church in bare feet.
Thabisa, she trip on church concrete.

Gogo Phindiswa take her to hospital.
Mama Lisa say, ‘It just a fall’.

Me, I tickle bottoms of her bare soles.
Thabisa she only two years old.

Doctors, they wire our baby to a machine.
Switch off pipes when Thabisa dream.

Gogo Phindiswa she say she never forget.
She jabber, jabbered and now in regret.

Mama Lisa she made to burn baby’s clothes.
Thabisa she only two years old.

Mama Lisa made to rinse new in lake
when we take baby body to Eastern Cape.

Last Sunday Thabisa play in bare feet.
Thabisa trip on church concrete.

This Sunday she gone just one week.
Like she just gone on Daddy retreat.

Me and Thabisa we share a room.
Open cupboard where we keep the broom.

Thabisa she like to hide things I know.
Thabisa she only two years old.

They stare up at me with clasps like eyes.
Tiny two shoes, how they survive?

This poem was one of three commendations in the Enfield Poetry competition 2020 and judged by Ruth Padel. I’m proud of that – but I am even more proud to learn that Thabisa’s mother has framed this poem and has it on her wall in her home village of Masiphumelele, Cape Town. Just goes to show writing can give bigger pleasures than being published on the page. Thabisa would have been five this year, bless her beautiful little cotton socks.

Saturday 9th April

Saturday 26th March

‘Perhaps …’
A poem what I wrote in 1969 at the age of fifteen …
Perhaps soon
we’ll live on the moon.
Perhaps we’ll stop the world from turning,
day and night occurring.

Perhaps too
we’ll do everything.
Perhaps we’ll stop death and time,
heaven on earth, no crime.

But perhaps
we’ll stop everything.
Even the world, because a man decides a button should be pressed.
But we’ll never know, because we can’t stop progress.

Dreadful isn’t it? But my mum liked it at the time.

A Clerihew for You

Vladimir Putin.
Won’t someone shoot him?
Between me and you …
he’s a perfect piece of putrid poo.

‘God Bless the Understudy …’ by Ms Paige Turner
Last weekend we took the plunge and saw ‘The Jersey Boys’ for the sixteenth time. There had been a long gap. The tickets were a Christmas 2020 present for Miss Trial and Master Mind. It was our first venture out into the indoor theatre for two years. We wore medical masks for the whole journey and performance.
‘In the old days’ signs would go up in the foyer when an understudy had been thrown into the den. ‘In the old, old days’, there would be a Tannoyed announcement before curtain up when the audience would audibly groan in earshot of the poor understudy.
Having understudied several leading roles at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for two seasons I have an affinity with The Understudy. I was relieved when the actress in question for the night showed up, as I was never rehearsed. I knew the lines – but rehearsals for understudies strangely came in the last week of the season which seemed somewhat redundant.
These days, I believe understudies are called ‘covers’. And I believe they have rehearsals. It’s a good job that they do, as last weekend’s performance had half the cast covering, on account of Covid. There was no announcement, no programme note and no foyer sign so I didn’t know we were watching covers until Miss Trial googled.
They were all terrific. I am so pleased The Understudy is having their day. I am also pleased that Mister Justin Case and I have just tested negative on flow.
The Moral: what the eye doesn’t see the heart does not grieve over and wear your medical mask in crowded arenas.
You can buy my psychological thriller novel ‘Shakespeare’s Clock’ from my publisher Cranthorpe Millner, all major bookstores and Amazon.
And the anthology ‘When This Is All Over …’ for the Rennie Grove Hospice can be purchased on Amazon.

‘Abi’s House Party’ – Watford Palace Young Theatre by Jan Moran Neil
Parties, parties, parties. They seem to be the talk of the town at this moment. It was a bit like having a party with the Watford Palace Young Theatre last week: a whole day online as a dramaturg. When I applied for the job I didn’t know I was one but the lovely Vedi Roy who is Creative Facilitator at the Watford Palace Young Theatre assured me my CV had all the credentials. So we set about creating characters and thinking about a plot for Abi and her mates. Abi is Sue’s daughter and Sue is at a house party being given by Mike Leigh’s Beverley in ‘Abigail’s Party’. Abi has her own ideas … These young people are full of ideas and are devising, producing and performing this play on 6th and 7th April at the Watford Palace Theatre. Will they be doing anything illegal at this party? I couldn’t comment and I don’t know if I attended until I am told. But try and attend in April – it sounds – well, hugely topical.
The previous evening I was reading from my novel ‘Shakespeare’s Clock’ (available on Amazon, all major retailers and my publishers Cranthorpe Millner – please leave a review if you liked it) at a veritable bun feast for Mary’s book club in Amersham who looked set to have a ball when I left them.
I couldn’t have asked for nicer and more organised hosts. Thank you Mary and Vedi and thank you Ruth Mestel who stepped in to help facilitate as Vedi had just bagged the role of Claudius in Hamlet at the National Theatre. Wow, Vedi!

Blog 283 – ‘Bookings for Workshops and Readings …’
I am now taking bookings for both physical and online workshops. This can be for Creative Writing and/or readings from my novel ‘Shakespeare’s Clock’ published by Cranthorpe Millner and available from them, all major retailers and Amazon.
Or for online drama workshops and one-to-one consultations.
Just email me.

Happy New Phones and Radio Broadcasts
I am promoting the anthology ‘When This Is All Over …’ on Marlow Radio and you can get on catch up.
Friday 31st December at 11.15 am – Good Morning Marlow and I am reading
Jane MacKinnon’s (our wonderful proof reader) and Mo Bradley’s poems. Here:

Listen Again | Marlow FM 97.5

I forgot to mention my also wonderful co-editor Adrian Spalding. He says he will forgive me. Put it down to the drowned phone but happily Mister Justin Case slipped into the new phone a sim card and everything I had on the old phone popped up. It’s amazing. How does that happen?

Adrian’s novel ‘The Reluctant Detective Under Pressure’ will be available at the end of January on Amazon.

We’ve raised over £2000 for the Rennie Grove Hospice with this anthology. It’s available, as is my novel ‘Shakespeare’s Clock’ published by Cranthorpe Millner on Amazon.

Happy and Healthy 2022.