Jaffareadstoo is delighted to welcome you all to our Summer Picnic
Summertime is here
I'm delighted to welcome Victoria Wilson Crane to our Summer picnic
Welcome, Victoria. Which favourite foods are you bringing to our summer picnic?
I’m bringing veggies and dips, tzatziki, guacamole, hummus etc. I quite like small bites like samosas or spring rolls etc. too. And lots of strawberries and cream!
What would you like to drink? We have white wine spritzers, locally brewed beer, traditional Pimms, sparkling elderflower cordial or a thermos of tea or coffee?
Pimms would be lovely please! I’m really enjoying English Garden by Anon at the minute – it’s a kind of non-alcoholic ‘Pimms’
Where shall we sit, by the pool, on a beach, in the garden or in the countryside?
Garden, with lots of flowers and insects – I like and appreciate insects, they’re so industrious
Do we have a wicker hamper, tablecloth and cutlery, or is everything in a supermarket carrier bag?
A hamper would be nice but I really don’t mind – as long as there’s plenty to go round and a bag to take home our rubbish, please!
Which of your literary heroes (alive or dead) are joining us on the picnic today?
Probably Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye and also the character Leo from L. P. Hartley’s The Go Between. And maybe Bridget Jones would turn up late, for the fun of it.
Do you have favourite place to have a summer picnic?
In reality, I’ve got fond memories of simply heading to our local park for a picnic when our daughter was younger. It was at her request. We had our very well-behaved dog with us but you had to keep your eye on your snacks at all times in his company, so not quite the relaxing experience you might imagine. I like being by the sea so my second favourite would be to take a picnic to the sand dunes on a warm Spring day – too hot and busy in summer, nice to get there before everyone else does.
Do you have a summer music playlist? And if so will you share with us a favourite song or piece of music that makes you feel happy?
I quite like indie and rock music, and a song from days in clubs in the 1990s would have to be Morning Glory from Oasis “another sunny afternoon..” being one of the lyrics. That song says summer to me.
Which summer read are you bringing with you today?
I’m currently reading Heartstopper Volume 1 (a graphic novel) and that feels like a summer read, certainly.
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When you are writing do you still find time to read for pleasure? And is there a book you would like to read but haven’t had time for …yet!
I think it’s important, as a writer, to keep reading; when writing a book like mine, it’s been difficult not to immerse myself in books similar to mine, however. I’m working my way through ‘Me and White Supremacy’ How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism and Change the World by Layla F. Saad. The book I’ve not read yet that I need to make time for is: Dean Burnett’s The Idiot Brain.
Where do you find the inspiration for your novels?
I’ve not yet written a novel but I have written a memoir, and the inspiration for that was after people “didn’t know what to say” when my young niece died suddenly. So I’ve written a book, Sixteen Days, part memoir, part self-help; it aims to ensure people feel more confident when talking about death and dying.
Have you a favourite place to settle down to write and do you find it easier to write in winter or summer?
Much easier in the winter! I like to be out in the garden so it’s a really wrench to be working in the early mornings or evenings when it’s so light. It’s great when it’s dark!
When writing to a deadline are you easily distracted and if so how do you bring back focus on your writing?
I am only distracted in the sense that I’ve got a full-time, busy job and a family – as many writers do – but I do try to carve out time for writing in the same way as anyone does – you find time for other things you want to do and want to achieve.
Give us four essential items that a writer needs?
You don’t need much kit, obviously useful to have a computer and word processing packages etc. but if all you have is a notepad and pen, that’s a great start. My ‘items’ would more be tools in my mental-health toolbox that I try to work on, as having strength in these areas means I will achieve my aims. So tenacity, focus, confidence and drive are four things that I think authors all need at certain times.
What can you tell us about your latest novel or your current work in progress?
My work-in-progress is a follow-up, expanded version of Sixteen Days which includes some interviews with other people who have their own stories to tell, both of their experiences of deaths of those around them, and also their experiences of the times I describe in Sixteen Days. This came about as so many people contacted me having read my book to share their stories – and these stories need to be out there.
January 2020. Her sudden, unexpected and unexplained death.
She’s 22.
Everyone wants to help. Few know what to say and do
Sad, funny, honest accounts. All true.
How we were supported, what worked for us, and what experts say.
Read Sixteen Days
By Certified Grief Recovery Specialist,
Victoria Wilson-Crane, Ph.D.
Be confident supporting others in shock and grief.
More about Victoria
Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist, Dr Victoria Wilson-Crane supports adults grieving life losses. Her memoir and self-help book Sixteen Days, published in January 2022, provides advice for those supporting others in shock and grief following sudden death.
Vic lives in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, with her author husband, Roger, their daughter Holly Mae and their exuberant, unique, yet typically bonkers flat-coated retriever, Ted Hastings.
Victoria ,where can we follow you on social media?
Twitter @victoriacrane
Instagram vicwilsoncrane
Thank you for sharing your summer picnic with us today.
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