Wednesday 13 January 2010

Still trying

I wish getting national publicity for The Dark Threads was as easy as what getting local interest has proved to be. Of course it is not. But the sparklers are still alight at least for regional publicity. This Saturday I'm being interviewed for BBC Radio Leeds 'Saturday Breakfast Show' at around 7am (Eeek! I hope my alarm works!). They say they'll link this with my appearance on Monday's 'Inside Out' TV programme (BBC1).

I've got five more talks lined up over the coming weeks at various locations: library, health centre, community centre, and (wait for it) a church fellowship group have invited me to talk. I know I'm not going to be paid a huge fee or sell shed loads of books at any of these talks, but it's well worth it for me, if only in terms of self-development. Before all this, I was too shy to speak much in front of an audience of more than one! Now I'm actually enjoying public speaking!!! (Well, if I keep saying this, it will make it come true).

I must say though that I'm getting fed up of talking about myself. It's good to talk about different things at my speakers club. I was all set to get up on my soapbox to do my zoo talk last week (about the wrongs of zoos) but it's been postponed due to the weather. Still lots of snow and ice here. Brrrr! I'm off now to make a big pan of soup (vegan of course).

8 comments:

Old Kitty said...

Hi Jean

I'm so glad to have caught your blog in time for the Inside Out programme (note to self: 18 January = North Yorks and Lincs. programme).

Anyway - GOOD LUCK with all your talks and interviews Must be exhausting so it's great to know that you are actually enjoying yourself.

All the best

Take care

Miriam Drori said...

I hope the radio interview went well. I'm sorry I missed it and wonder if it'll be available to listen again. Unfortunately, I can't watch UK TV programmes where I am.

I have now read all of your blog and I think you've done brilliantly. I wish you lots of luck in the future.

Jean said...

Kitty - Hi there. I hope you won't be disappointed in the programme if you get to see it. I think the hospital part of the programme is only going to be about ten minutes and my appearance less than that. I'm half-dreading watching it, wondering how I come over. Maybe I'll keep peeping out at the screen from behind my fingers!

Miriam - Yes, I think the radio interview went okay, thanks. I've checked the website and there isn't a 'listen again' facility for it. For me, that's probably a good thing as I'm sure I'd start worrying about what I sound like.

I've been reading your blog and I think it's great how you are raising awareness of SA.

Old Kitty said...

Hi Jean!!!

The BBC iplayer is still not loading the Inside Out programme for North Yorks and Lincs. I'm in London and did a really silly thing and turned my telly on and I thought - but where's Jean's piece?? It occurred to me later!

:-)

I'll be a day late but I look forward to it still.

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Jean

I just wanted to say that I've just watched the programme on iplayer.

I was absolutely horrified - especially that shot of the green field with all those unmarked graves. Then the interview with an ex-nurse who seemed to think that the treatments that awful place used did patients a world of good.

Your experience and that of Derek (featured in this segment too) needs longer than ten minutes to be told.

Take care
x

Jean said...

Old Kitty - Yes, so many things that went on in that place were wrong and just can't be justified. Derek in the clip, who underwent the experimental brain surgery, is an inspiration to me. His experience was much worse than mine, and now he's working tirelessly to give recognition and respect to those forgotten patients who died there.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I'm cross that I missed the Inside Out programme, and it's too late to catch it on Iplayer now.

Your book sounds fascinating, best of luck with the publicity you're doing.

Jean said...

Debs - Thanks for visiting. By the way the programme is available for the next 3 days. Go to:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout

Click on 'Yorkshire & Lincs', scroll down to where it says 18th January and click on 'watch again'.

It's the first ten minutes of the programme that's about the hospital. Some of it makes grim watching, but what happened there to so many people needs to come out in the open.