Tuesday 25 October 2011

Debut Dagger

mainly sunny - temps 10- breezy

One of those classic late October days....a wind that goes right into our bones. Buuurrrr.

We spent a wonderful weekend in Toronto, celebrating Doug's 50th birthday. Went for dinner to this great new Italian restaurant in a part of the city called Cabbagetown. I used to live there, when I first graduated college....with two friends. Guys. Brian and Bob. We lived on Seton Street in an old victorian. Amazing fun. Goegeous place. I'd just started at the CBC - which at the time was in an old red stone building within walking distance.

As so often happens, I had no idea how lucky I was.

It was such fun to be with Doug - and fun to be back in Cabbagetown. And the food at this restaurant was fabulous. The place is called F'Amelia. Great name.

We also had Indian food, for lunch that day. Doug loves Indian food and it's not exactly a hardship for Michael and me either. Yum.

So strange to be celebrating my younger brother's 50th. but I think we;re all so happy with where we are in life, that birthdays and age are almost meaningless. We're all far happier now than when we were in our 30s. A lovely, peaceful, place to be.

Now we're back in Montreal. Have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so that Michael can have his eye looked at. Conjunctivitis, he says. I call it 'pink eye'. Either way, it doesn't hurt him, but since his eyes are fragile, we want his doc to take a peek.

I also, though, wanted to let you all know that the Crime Writer's Association in Britain is now accepting entries for this year's Debut Dagger award. It's for the Best Unpublished Mystery...so if you have a manuscript for a crime novel and haven't yet found a publisher - this is your chance. It's the contest that launched my career - and Alan Bradley's and a whole lot of other people. Just google CWA or Debut Dagger...I'm sure you can find it.

And, speaking of the fabulous Alan Bradley - his latest book is about to come out. It's called I am Half sick of Shadows and is amazing! Long live Flavia!

Hope you're well - speak soon!

5 comments:

A. Wright said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
A. Wright said...

I love Flavia and I love Alan Bradley's writing. His short story in "A Study of Sherlock," a new anthology inspired by Holmes canon with 16 great mystery writers as contributers, is my favorite so far and I'm half way through the 16.

I have heard that the editors, Laurie R King and Leslie Klinger are already looking for contributors for the next volumn and I hope you write something, Louise. I'd love to read what you might write "inspired by Holmes canon."

--Alice

VT Slajer said...

Hi Louise,

Yes CBC - that's where I 'met' Louise when she was doing the Montreal show Radio Noon. It was such a joy to listen to that I often drove around at my lunch time just to listen to Louise and her guests. It did not take me long to get hooked. The same thing happened several years down the road with the books - in a year, I read them all up to Bury Your Dead, and have The Trick of the Light on standby when I will really need a safe comfort zone. Thanks, Louise.

I am your contemporary, and readily agree that I am much happier now than in my 30s. I am also reaching now the peak of my mental powers and work productivity - something that many members of the younger generation have difficulty to understand. They should read the Gamache series, perhaps they would start understanding...

lil Gluckstern said...

I love traveling and eating with you. Fortunately, there is some peace with life as one gets older, f you're lucky.

Pastor Ed said...

Yes, Long live Flavia!