Get some very nice letters from old friends and in the evening a wonderful bunch of flowers. Send out a bulk e-mail to many friends alerting them to the book and telling them where to buy it. Do live interview with Radio Cambridge and the first question takes me completely unawares – the interviewer asks … Read more
My sister rings to say that there is a review in the Sunday Times. It doesn’t appear to be in the on-line edition – so here it is in full: ‘In 1957, aged 10, Anderson’s childhood was abruptly brought to an end when she was diagnosed as having cancerous lumps in her arm. A prominent … Read more
In 1957, aged 10, Anderson’s childhood was abruptly brought to an end when she was diagnosed as having cancerous lumps in her arm. A prominent surgeon amputated the limb, a procedure that, Anderson later found out, may not have been necessary. Halfway to Venus tells of her struggle to accept the loss of part of … Read more
‘My mother closed the door and turned towards me, and without saying anything, she made a chopping motion with her right hand above her left elbow. I thought my world had come to an end.’ So I’m wittering on about knitting and quilting on the same day that I am reading Sarah Anderson’s truly remarkable … Read more
Another day of not being able to concentrate as various repercussions from all yesterday’s publicity. Guardian Unlimited put that I had written the film Notting Hill (I wish) – it has now been removed but was there due to some editor’s ‘imagination’. Hugely embarrassing – since it has already found its way onto other sites. … Read more
I had a hunch when I woke at 7am that there might be something in the Telegraph, so I rushed downstairs to look online – and yes there it was – I then rushed out to see that it was in the paper Telegraph too. Different photographs – MUCH better online but big piece and … Read more
As a child, writer Sarah Anderson had her arm amputated. Her stiff-upper-lip family never spoke of the trauma – and nor did she. Denial came at a cost, she tells Cassandra Jardine Shortly before Sarah Anderson’s 10th birthday, the first lump was found just below the elbow of her left arm. For the next seven … Read more
Ring around more bookshops in the morning – again nothing but friendly and positive responses. I preface my telephone calls with ‘Hello my name is Sarah Anderson and I used to have the Travel Bookshop in Notting Hill’ – it helps. Do the monthly accounts for the company – soon I must do the end … Read more
Decide to release the books – the Mail’s contract was only until last Saturday – so the shops might as well start selling them. But how are people going to know about the book until I get something in the press? I take 5 huge grey mail bags to the post – over 150 books … Read more
Spend most of Saturday writing about wilderness books for Guardian Unlimited – rather enjoyable although I would like to settle down and read in more detail. On Monday I send off my copy to the Guardian and I ring round more bookshops – again all very positive. Do a large e-mail to people in my … Read more