Posted on 24/02/2023 in Dorothy Says

Hay, Where Did You Go?

4-minute read

 

Hello you.

‘For two days she sat on the sofa in the window, waiting for you to come back.’

That’s what I was told about my biggest little dog when I got home yesterday.

Poor Jollof honestly lay on the back of the sofa looking out of the window all day Friday and Saturday, waiting for me to return.

I knew she’d notice I wasn’t there, after all this was my first time away from her overnight since she and her sister, FuFu, came to live here in March 2020. But I didn’t think either of them would pine for me until I got home.

Where did I go?

To take part in the internationally renowned Hay Festival up in Wales. It was the first time I’d gone there – either as an attendee, and certainly as a panellist.

So was it worth it?

I’ll admit, when I was the only masked up person squashed up against several tipsy football fans as we all sweated our way from Hereford to Newport, I did not think it was worth it. When I finally escaped the hotbox and stood on the chilly platform, knowing I was going to be waiting there for my next train for more than half an hour, I did wonder what I was thinking taking myself up there in the first place.

But once I was home and showered and warm again, I did think it was worth it.

It was totally worth it, but not only because it was another event to add to my list of literary endeavours. But, because it was also a bit of a moment of recognition.

You see, authors like me – commercial writers, indeed, commercial Black writers – are very rarely invited to ‘serious’ festivals like Hay. We popular fiction writers are generally seen as not ‘literary’ or ‘crucial’; essentially not good enough in their cultural eyes.

I mean, I KNOW I’m good enough. The amount of readers like you – especially you – buying my books, and reading my emails and replying to me, tells me that I’m good enough; that my plot-driven, character-reliant novels are just as wanted, needed and important as the ones winning the big serious prizes.

Which is why it was good to go. Good to do. Good to remind myself and those in that sphere that I am just as relevant and important as the other people invited.

I was at Hay via my connection as one of the 2022 judging panel of the Women’s Prize. The Prize works to elevate women’s writing voices, and they certainly did that for me in this instance.

Why? Because everyone who went through the festival booklet, who came to my sold-out event, who bought a book afterwards could see that my books – the books that you love – are a vital part of the literary landscape.

So yes, it was worth going to Hay.

Anyways, safe to say, that when I walked – bedraggled and hungry – through the front door yesterday evening, Jollof and FuFu come running out to greet me and pretty much licked me into submission.

And it was wonderful to see them. I may never leave them overnight again…

What have you been up to, gorgeous ones? Do let me know.

Hope all is good with you.

Speak soon,

Dorothy x

(Please excuse typos – I’m only human!)

PS Don’t forget: you can pre-order a signed copy of My Other Husband here and unsigned copies here and here to make sure it arrives in your life as soon as possible after it’s released.