Replies from Authors

[Melvil]

I emailed a moderately famous sci-fi author a couple of weeks ago, with some questions about his novels and his views on certain things. Imagine my surprise when I opened my inbox this evening and found a well considered, germane and lengthy response. I was chuffed, to say the least!

Anybody else had any interesting correspondence with writers?

 

[Dayvo]

Nine years ago I contacted one of Sweden's most popular contemporary authors asking for permission to translate his first novel (which was a huge best-seller in Sweden in 1976).

I met him at his flat and spent 90 minutes with him, and corresponded with him for a few years after.

The translation is finished (and very good it is too ) but no publisher in Britain is interested in, er, publishing it!

 

[marinyork]

Nine years ago I contacted one of Sweden's most popular contemporary authors asking for permission to translate his first novel (which was a huge best-seller in Sweden in 1976).

I met him at his flat and spent 90 minutes with him, and corresponded with him for a few years after.

The translation is finished (and very good it is too ) but no publisher in Britain is interested in, er, publishing it!

No I haven't to answer the question. Who was it you wrote to Melvil?

 

[Melvil]

No I haven't to answer the question. Who was it you wrote to Melvil?

Him:

http://www.richardkmorgan.com/

Then click on British Sci-fi author.

 

[SamNichols]

It depends upon the author, really. Some will be constantly hassled by people wanting to ask them questions, others will have a fairly small fan bag.
I have got correspondence from Hanif Kureishi before, but Philip Roth never replied to my email.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I once engaged in a somewhat correspondance with a very famous US SF author over a lightly less than complementary review I did of a book of his... he wasn't the only one who responded back when I used to do more reviews.

 

[Abitrary]

I once engaged in a somewhat correspondance with a very famous US SF author over a lightly less than complementary review I did of a book of his... he wasn't the only one who responded back when I used to do more reviews.

Al Gore?

 

[Melvil]

I once engaged in a somewhat correspondance with a very famous US SF author over a lightly less than complementary review I did of a book of his... he wasn't the only one who responded back when I used to do more reviews.

M.John Harrison?

Oops he's british.

Erm who?

 

[barq]

There is a nice story about a woman who wrote a letter to Harold Pinter regarding his play The Dumb Waiter. From memory she wrote something like, "I cannot understand your play until I know who your characters Ben and Gus are, where they come from and what their intentions are."

Pinter wrote back something to the effect of "I cannot understand your letter until I know who you are, where you come from and what your intentions are".

 

[just jim]

I got a reply from Richard Morgan too; I was chuffed!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

M.John Harrison?

Oops he's british.

Erm who?

Bruce Sterling.

I'd never be nasty about M.John Harrison. He's an all-round genius... and also hard as f*ck.

 

[Melvil]

Bruce Sterling.

I'd never be nasty about M.John Harrison. He's an all-round genius... and also hard as f*ck.

 

[Cathryn]

Nine years ago I contacted one of Sweden's most popular contemporary authors asking for permission to translate his first novel (which was a huge best-seller in Sweden in 1976).

I met him at his flat and spent 90 minutes with him, and corresponded with him for a few years after.

The translation is finished (and very good it is too ) but no publisher in Britain is interested in, er, publishing it!

Who's the author? I like Scandinavian novels. They're generally barking!!

 

[Cathryn]

I wrote to Steven Fry a few years ago inviting him to our wedding. It was just after Prince Charles' wedding and I thought Steven Fry looked fab in his tops and tails, so suggested he might like to wear it again to ours, and lured him in with the promise of sausage & mash, and apple crumble! Didn't hear anything for months (didn't expect to, it was a bit of a laugh) and then had this wonderful, very Steven Fry letter back saying he had a prior engagement but was disappointed as he was partial to sausage and mash.

I've loved him ever since.

 

[Cathryn]

Sorry...I like this thread.

I also wrote to Rob Spedding, editor of C+, last week to say that whilst I liked the magazine I thought women were hugely under-represented since the redesign. Had an email on Monday which basically said he agreed and he was looking at it!! Apparently there might even be a chick on the front cover.

I nominated myself and Liesl but he seemed to have someone else in mind.
Was pretty impressed he'd got back to me so quickly.