Long time

Some Wordles from folks over at http://wordle.net/. Put the chronology of the novel in the first one and the second is a poem I wrote in 1998 bout Steven Lawrence. So where have I been? Writing, fighting, inciting – usual business – novel is coming together but a change of job & home circumstances made a few tings hard. However have been working with muso mate Jaydev Mistry to put down a few chunks as an audiobook which may see light of day up here one time together with some transcripts.

Keep watchin this space

Saqib D , Sept 08

Soundtrack to West Richardson Street

          

          

        

   

Freur ‘Riders in the night’

Blue Nile ‘Headlights on the Parade’

Klashnekoff  ‘It’s Murda’

Opposition ‘Sand and Glue’

Ghost feat Verb T ‘Exactly’

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ‘My Heart My Life’

Johhny Osbourne ‘Truth & Rights’

Eyeless in Gaza ‘Lie Still Sleep Long’

Niraj Chag ‘Khwaab’

Fierce ‘Dayz like that’ (Full Crew remix)

Mark B & Blade ‘The Unknown’ (Azad mix)

Zion I ‘One Chance’

Shara Nelson ‘Down that Road’ (Underdog mix)

A boys gotta have some tunes while he’s working… Some are these are standard trax from my collection of several thousand records, cd’s & cassettes (remember them?) whilst others are just plain off the beaten track. Still researching and digging away – working on character development and the various stories are always alive in my head as I weave plots and people together. One way or another its got to come out as its’ been gestating for so long.

Stay wise

Saqib Dec 07

Inspiration

 

Been reading Animal’s People by Indra Sinha which has been nominated for a Booker award and was struck by its power & subject matter. The way Indra conjures up the town of Khaufpur and roots the incidents that took place in Bhopal in 1984 as the backdrop for the novel is just amazing and blew me away.

Read some interviews with the author and what struck me was that he said it had taken him some time to find a ‘voice’ for the book – a character that would drive the narrative forward and he found it in the shape of the novels main protaganist – Animal, a lad who had been disabled in the chemical accidents that the ‘Kampani’ from ‘Amrika’ had unleashed and now who walks on all fours. Animal drives the story on and is just a crazy & wonderful creation.

Me? Been researching away and writing loads more of the back story to flesh out the story of the four main characters. Looking at old pictures and maps, reading recollections of the first Asian & Caribbean immigrants who came in the 50’s and 60’s and finding out about life in the slums around Newlands. I think you’ll maybe need to know Wycombe for some of the stuff to resonate but I think I’m  capturing that small town vibe that the place has in common with many others.

Some time off…

     

Way I figure you have to make time to write. Dedicated time. So been spending time in my local library and evenings in front of the PC. Stuff is coming together and may be brave enough soon to put some stuff up to this blog.

Been working on the following:

1. Backstory – West Richardson Street (WRS) is about local history in the Desborough Road area of High Wycombe
2. Structure and plotting – got all these threads that need to come together but trying not to work too linear-ally
3. Character development and memories

Some details on the pics:

First pic is from Desborough ‘Castle’ otherwise known as Roundabout Wood where there are remains of an iron-age fort.

Second pic is a sign above a house in Upper Green St.

Third pic is an amazing pic of the factory that used to be in front of Green St School (heard about this but never seen it).

Last two photos from Sharing Wycombe’s Old Photographs (SWOP) project @ http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/swop

Just some tantalising clues about what this piece of fiction is going to be about. Something deep from the Desborough darkness…

Stay tuned

One love

Saqib

First Post

Yup I’m writing a novel ’bout High Wycombe. Set myself a target for the end of the year to get a rough draft in place so working on it every day doing research, writing notes and working on the characters and plot lines.

So why a novel?

I’ve written plays, sketches and poetry and even a screenplay over the years. Mainly in a community context and for commissions. Not made loads of cash or fame from it but that wasn’t my intention really. The medium of the novel just came together cos of the complexity of what I’m trying to get across. ‘West Richardson Street’ has a number of historical threads running through it and I really fancied getting into some heavy characterisation and sub plots.

Want to make some money from it ‘cos I know I have got some talent but never really pushed it till now. Watch this space though as I am looking to get it out in all kinds of ways – e books, blogs etc and not just traditional books.

Saqib Deshmukh, Writer, High Veecombe