Come and chat to the award-winning SADIE JONES about her new novel FALLOUT, her previous bestseller THE OUTCAST, and her writing career on Monday 20 July, 9-10pm

[TillyMumsnetBookClub]

Our July author Sadie Jones' latest book, Fallout, grew from her impressions of the romantic, turbulent nature of Britain in the 1970s, when "everybody was stumbling in this fallout from the 1960s. There were recessions and power cuts and people doing pub theatre and feminism. It was an incredibly serious time."

Fallout follows aspiring playwright Luke and the beautiful but vulnerable actress Nina as they navigate their way through painful relationships and volatile careers amid the daily struggles of 1970s London life.

Like Maggie O'Farrell and Esther Freud, Sadie Jones is a highly intelligent and perceptive writer, weaving her sharp psychological insight into a gripping plot. Fallout is a beautifully researched novel, informative and deeply evocative.

Sadie's first novel, The Outcast, won the Costa First Novel Award, was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and was a Richard and Judy Summer Reads Number One bestseller. It has been adapted by the BBC (with the screenplay written by Sadie) and will be shown as a two-part drama in July - find out more on Sadie's Twitter feed.

Vintage have 50 copies of Fallout to give to Mumsnetters: to claim your copy please fill in your details on the book of the month page. We’ll post on the thread when all the copies have gone. If you’re not lucky enough to bag one of those, you can always get a Kindle version here or here.

We are delighted that Sadie will be joining us on Monday 20th July, 9-10pm, to discuss Fallout, her previous award-winning novels and her writing career. Please feel free to discuss the book here throughout the month and then come and meet Sadie on the night, and ask her a question or simply tell her what you thought of the book. Look forward to seeing you on the 20th…

Thanks Mumsnet and Vintage for sending me this book. It was a thoroughly absorbing read. The story of Northern writer or other arty type making their way to London to find an outlet for their talents is something of a cliche (indeed I reviewed a similarly plotted book on these pages only a few weeks ago), but what make for a sophisticated plot was how the Luke, the main protagonist, has success that is very much bound up in that of his friends and colleagues (and in this it is probably more true to life). I liked the way in which Luke’s motivations were revealed in stages throughout the book, all the better for making the story more real, albeit less of an escapist, easy read.

My question to Sadie Jones is whether you intended that the contrast of two sorts of damage in childhood - of Nina and of Luke - should result in one character seeming to come across as more sympathetic than the other. Or, in other words, do you see Nina to be more of a victim of her circumstances than Luke or is she in fact simply weaker?

@TillyMumsnetBookClub

Our July author Sadie Jones' latest book, Fallout, grew from her impressions of the romantic, turbulent nature of Britain in the 1970s, when "everybody was stumbling in this fallout from the 1960s. There were recessions and power cuts and people doing pub theatre and feminism. It was an incredibly serious time."

Fallout follows aspiring playwright Luke and the beautiful but vulnerable actress Nina as they navigate their way through painful relationships and volatile careers amid the daily struggles of 1970s London life.

Like Maggie O'Farrell and Esther Freud, Sadie Jones is a highly intelligent and perceptive writer, weaving her sharp psychological insight into a gripping plot. Fallout is a beautifully researched novel, informative and deeply evocative.

Sadie's first novel, The Outcast, won the Costa First Novel Award, was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and was a Richard and Judy Summer Reads Number One bestseller. It has been adapted by the BBC (with the screenplay written by Sadie) and will be shown as a two-part drama in July - find out more on Sadie's Twitter feed.

Vintage have 50 copies of Fallout to give to Mumsnetters: to claim your copy please fill in your details on the book of the month page. We?ll post on the thread when all the copies have gone. If you?re not lucky enough to bag one of those, you can always get a Kindle version here or here.

We are delighted that Sadie will be joining us on Monday 20th July, 9-10pm, to discuss Fallout, her previous award-winning novels and her writing career. Please feel free to discuss the book here throughout the month and then come and meet Sadie on the night, and ask her a question or simply tell her what you thought of the book. Look forward to seeing you on the 20th?

test post?

I read The Outcast last year, and couldn't put it down until I'd read it! Has Sadie thought about what the characters would do after the book ended? Would Lewis & Kit meet up again?

After reading this and reading about your father being a playwright. Did you always want to write novels or did you prefer to write plays etc?

Thank you for my free copy - just finished!! I would just like to say that like many I nearly gave up half way through as it was flitting back and forth between characters. However, it really livened up towards the end and was most enjoyable and I'm very glad I finished - so stick with it xx

As for being character driven - I would like to know did you have the characters all set out from the beginning? (as I would have liked to know more about Tony and the relationship between Nina, Tony and her mother).

There are also other relationships that could have taken up whole chapters i.e. Luke & his Father - the characters were so colourful you could have had another book. Do you ever feel that you have too much to say about a characters?

Lastly, sorry for waffling on - Like Luke (letting go of his play) - once your book was published do you just let it go, or do you think of changes that you would have liked to make to the storyline?

I finished reading The Outcast a couple of days ago, and have it recorded to watch on tv later this week. I really enjoyed the novel and am looking forward to watching it too. Did you have it in mind, when you were writing it, that you would like to turn it into a screenplay for tv?

Turning to Fallout - I think that would make a good tv series too. Are there plans to do this? I was only a child in the 1970s but do remember the power cuts and the fashions etc - would be great for nostalgia :)

Do you prefer to set your novels in the recent past? If so, why? (I did like the period detail of The Outcast, the frustrating and stifling social conventions of the 1950s - very much the same era as when my parents were young).

I really enjoyed this book, though it, for me, was a bit of a slow burner to begin with. Maybe it was me, but it did take a while to get into it, but suddenly I was gripped. That moment came when Luke was stopped in the pouring rain by Paul and Leigh in Leigh's Mini - from that moment on I couldn't put it down.

I loved the fact that a lot of the plot was set around the theatre, whether that was the small amateurish theatrical productions or the major West End ones. A spooky moment for me was when me and my husband were on the train to London to see a production at the Theatre Royal and this theatre, Sloane Square and Peter Jones thereon got mentioned, all places we went to on our trip.

I thought the period setting was really good and it made you realise how recently things have changed from mental institutions to attitudes to smoking.

I wish to ask whether there are any theatrical influences that Sadie has drawn upon and also whether there are any particular reasons for setting her novels in the past.

I found the scenes with Luke and his Mum very moving and was wondering if Sadie had considered exploring the relationship between Luke's parents in greater detail?

I was wondering what was Sadie's motive for setting the story in the 70s as opposed to a different decade?

Hi, I did find this a page turning read and have some questions about your thinking behind the characters.
First, Luke - I sense you want us, as readers, to like him, to feel sorry for his vulnerability and damaged past, and so on - but he's actually pretty shitty to women - an almost stereotyped badly behaved man (and not in a cute way). Do you think we should excuse how callous he is with women because he had a hard past?

I found none of the woman to be very strong in character, I didn't feel that Nina developed and really felt sorry for her towards the end especially with the relationship of her husband. Leigh also never really developed as a character for me either, was that the intention?

Evening everyone
Firstly, thank you to all those who have posted their reviews and questions so far.

I’m thrilled and honoured to welcome author and screenwriter Sadie Jones to Bookclub this evening. Sadie’s novels have won multiple awards and I am delighted that we have the opportunity to talk about them all with her over the next hour

Sadie, thank you very, very much indeed for giving us your time tonight. We've already got a fair few questions to get through so I'll just add the standard Mumsnet ones that we like to ask all our authors...??

What childhood book most inspired you?

What would be the first piece of advice you would give to anyone attempting to write fiction?

What is the best book you’ve given someone recently?

And the best you’ve received?

Over to you...

Many thanks to Mumsnet / Vintage Books for a copy of 'Fallout' by Sadie Jones. With the popularity surrounding the recent 'The Outcast' television adaptation, I received 'Fallout' with real anticipation. I was curious to see the way the story was executed. I haven't completed reading the book, but what I've found so far is a well-crafted, emotionally-driven tale. The author does well in incorporating authentic 1970's London vernacular.

I'd like to ask Sadie a couple of general questions to begin with, if I may ......

QUESTION ONE:- Do you have a personal favourite out of the books you've had published?
QUESTION TWO:- It must have been exciting to see 'The Outcast' being dramatised on BBC1. Is any other of your books being optioned for film or television?

I too find the setting very evocative - I could really picture the time and the settings. How did you research it and do you have a particular personal interest in the 60s / 70s?

Another question if that's ok:

Luke and Nina never forgave the "stable" parent in their childhood - although Tomasz seemed to be the child in his relationship with Luke - and was very dismissive of Aunt Mat, even when she grew up. But Nina comes across as less sympathetic for some reason. Do you think that is because she is female and we have unfair expectations based on gender?

Another quick question while its fresh in my mind:-

You've written the screenplay to the televised adaptation to 'The Outcast'. How different, and how much of a challenge, was writing the screenplay as compared to writing your books?

Oh meant to say I was really pleased that Luke and Nina didn't ever discover their childhood near-miss.

I loved Outcast and read it one sitting. I'm looking forward to reading this new book.

Hello, nice to be here - I think.

@TillyMumsnetBookClub

Evening everyone Firstly, thank you to all those who have posted their reviews and questions so far.

I?m thrilled and honoured to welcome author and screenwriter Sadie Jones to Bookclub this evening. Sadie?s novels have won multiple awards and I am delighted that we have the opportunity to talk about them all with her over the next hour

Sadie, thank you very, very much indeed for giving us your time tonight. We've already got a fair few questions to get through so I'll just add the standard Mumsnet ones that we like to ask all our authors...??

What childhood book most inspired you?

I read and reread the Narnia books and A Little Princess more times than I could count, from reading them first at around... six, I guess, into adulthood. Thinking about what connects them, there's the passionate battle for justice that most children are drawn to, and also Lewis and Hodgson Burnett write with a constant feeling of the magical Other, that is yearned for, lost and re-found.

What would be the first piece of advice you would give to anyone attempting to write fiction?
Don't start too soon. Make a habit, however limited your time, and stick to it - even if you can't always actually Write, just to be doing Nothing else, for whatever period of time, regularly, that you can. Unless you are firmly a genre writer, forget the perceived marketplace, you can't second-guess it.

What is the best book you?ve given someone recently?
Funny you should ask, I gave Philip Roth's Nemesis to two people last week. It's a virtually perfect book.

And the best you?ve received?
When We Were Orphans. Ishiguro is the strangest writer - and I mean that as the highest compliment, he is the very oddest... both moving and distancing in equal measure.

Over to you...

@TillyMumsnetBookClub

Evening everyone Firstly, thank you to all those who have posted their reviews and questions so far.

I?m thrilled and honoured to welcome author and screenwriter Sadie Jones to Bookclub this evening. Sadie?s novels have won multiple awards and I am delighted that we have the opportunity to talk about them all with her over the next hour

Sadie, thank you very, very much indeed for giving us your time tonight. We've already got a fair few questions to get through so I'll just add the standard Mumsnet ones that we like to ask all our authors...??

What childhood book most inspired you?

What would be the first piece of advice you would give to anyone attempting to write fiction?

What is the best book you?ve given someone recently?

And the best you?ve received?

Over to you...

I also wondered how the story would have been different if it was set now. Would the Luke and Nina affair have been made easier by mobile phones etc or would they have been found out more quickly?

Hi Sadie. There are quite a lot of writers on Mumsnet, many of us trying to break into traditional publishing. Can I ask you how having an editor helped you in your writing? (Btw you write absolutely beautifully.)

@mollkat

Thank you for my copy MN - I am loving the Outcast on TV and currently half way through Fallout. I am really enjoying it so far - and intrigued by DuchessofMalfi's comment about Paul and Leigh... I am particularly enjoying the way the language flows differently depending on the character of the moment -the language around Luke's parts is staccato echoing his inability to sit calmly, whereas the language around Nina's parts is more dreamy but in a drugged rather than ethereal way and I am nervous every time she makes an appearance. My question is, why this decade? Was it a time of particular theatrical relevance?

Thank you for your comments. I'm so pleased you like the book - and The Outcast. To answer you, I knew very early that Fallout was a love triangle, and that the 1970s was the right era in which to set it. Love, in popular culture in the 1950s was broadly speaking boy-meets-girl-innocence, and the 1960s was the time when youth overturned the conventional post-war precedents. The 70s, to me, is the decade love grows up. They were living in the Fallout of the '60s. Sex, legal abortion, divorce without stigma; these freedoms were presented without consequences. From the songs of Paul Simon and the films of Woody Allen, to the plays of Pinter - grown-up relationships were discussed. Much more than now. Also, because the characters in Fallout work in theatre, I felt the highest point for theatre in recent memory - although there's amazing work now - was in the '70s, and it was a time when theatre wasn't just cultural icing, it was essential to a thinking society. That can hardly be said to be the case now.

I know that some authors put people that they know as character names in their books. Have you done this or based any particular character in Fallout on anyone?

@aginghippy

I want to ask Sadie about the character of Tony. To me, Tony is completely evil, not just flawed the way the other main characters are.

How did you feel when you were imagining/writing Tony and the abusive relationship between Tony and Nina?

Thank you very much indeed for your comments. I appreciate them. I do not think Tony is evil at all. I think he is very flawed. I made a conscious decision not to show the damage that makes him how he is, as I do with the other characters. He tells everyone a different story, and the inference is that his past is both very dark, and hidden even from himself. He is not deliberately cruel, I don't think, but certainly takes pleasure in dominating Nina. She is a complicated girl and her tragedy is that she is not strong enough to leave him. She could, at any time. Their dynamic is a very sad one, and explores a grey area (pun intended) in what are often simply termed 'abusive relationships', ignoring the complicity of the victim. In saying this, I do not in any way excuse abuse, or blame the victims of it.

@AnneEyhtMeyer

Thanks for this book, I really enjoyed it and read it in one go. I liked the lack of chapters, which surprises me, as it seemed to make the story have more pace.

I was particularly impressed with the characterisations, and the fact that they all had their flaws. So often a book has one "goody-goody" or one wholly nasty character, but the characters in this book came in different "shades", even Tony.

There did seem to be an underlying theme of poor-parenting and absent mothers, whether through intention or circumstance. Was that intentional?

Thank you very much. I'm glad you liked it. The book is called Fallout for the reasons you hint at. It begins with the explosion, or cataclysm, of two childhoods, and it then tells the story of the effect of these explosions - the fallout - on the adults those children become. I was very much trying to convey how different people are molded by the experience of childhood, and how it influences the people they fall in love with. Different people, of course, are effected differently by different damage - one person may become stronger, or kinder, where another may be broken.