Fragmented work on the novel all day. Probably done my quota already. Wrote a letter to Conan1 and the last three days of this diary. Got a letter from Mum and Dad today. They had seen Alan and Judy and talked about my writing.
Judy’s brother in law is Terence Blacker, one time senior publishing editor with Penguin (I think), now freelance author, etc. Judy felt she could ask him to give you advice/look over your work etc. if you wanted it in the future. You will presumably submit your oeuvre to a publisher — might not this be a useful introduction? Blacker’s novel Fixx has just gone into paperback.
I have spoken to Judy about him before. She wasn’t sure about his novel which is out in Bloomsbury, the publisher’s publisher. I do think he could be a useful source of advice/intros if he wanted to be2. I feel quite happy about showing the novel before sending it to a publisher. I’d like Paddy’s opinion.
A friend of my father who I’d stayed with in America. I slept in a room whose walls were decorated with over 20 handguns.
Several years later, Terence Blacker read another novel by young-Toby, The Prague Metro. Terence liked it — thought it showed talent. They met up, and Terence suggested that Toby submit the novel to the literary agent Mic Cheetham, who had just left a big agency and set up by herself. Toby did as Terence suggested, and Mic Cheetham became Toby’s first agent.
So, Terence played a big part in Toby becoming a published writer. Although that novel, and the next, and the next, didn’t get anywhere.
Thank you, Terence.