Lovely Tilly Review: I finished reading your book yesterday. What a beautiful thing you have created! I cried, and laughed, and was intrigued, and the mystery was fascinating. Thank you 🙏💜
Today I have received some wonderful feedback from the members of the Grindleford Book Club who have just finished reading my novel The Lost Life of Tilly MacLeod.
(Words in brackets have been edited slightly to prevent spoilers.)
The Story
As a group of friends, we are all personally familiar with the ravages of dementia and we were initially put off the idea of a novel involving the disease. However, the story (of Tilly) and the detective work undertaken by her daughter intrigued us. We were drawn in by the sense of place … (the characters who interact with Tilly, and the historical details of the settings from the 1940s and 50s). The romance was very sensitively described and the loyal, loving James emerges as a great strength.
Communication Within Families
As you might expect, much of our discussion centred on identity and how much we know about our own parents and grandparents. We explored the back story of some parents who had kept tragic events from their children and we all wished we had been more curious many years ago!
I’m delighted to share that my novel The Lost Life of Tilly MacLeod has been adapted for the stage, and will star the wonderful actor Sandra Voe as Tilly. This play is acting as a focal point within wider fundraising and awareness events for dementia. 30th & 31st August. Camden, LONDON NW5 2DB #dementia #dementiaawareness #britishheartfoundation #alzheimerssociety #brainappeal #raredementiasupport
Today I had the amazing opportunity to go along to an afternoon rehearsal for my play - The Lost Life of Tilly MacLeod - to meet the cast and share my understandings of these four very different women and the circumstances that brought them all together. #dementia #dementiawareness #britishheartfoundation #nationalbrainappeal #alzheimerssociety
We are very lucky to have found the perfect person to play Isla MacLeod, Tilly’s daughter. Olivia Maffett completes the cast for The Lost Life of Tilly MacLeod.
Olivia trained at Webber Douglas. Academy and since then many of her stage roles have been in Musical theatre and Opera. Working for 13 years at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and at Birmingham Opera - directed by Graham Vick and Châtelet Theatre, Paris - directed by Peter Sellars. She also has a long list of theatre and concert credits to her name.
I am delighted to inform you that Gabriella Tavini is joining the cast of The Lost Life of Tilly MacLeod to play the role of Elspeth Campbell. If you have been watching Emmerdale recently you will recognise Gabriella from your screens this June. Gabriella is about to star in her first feature film as Amy in Semolina Pilchard, which starts filming in the Autumn and the short film Trust Thy Sister, a folk-horror that she starred in, has already been nominated for several awards and is currently being submitted to many well-known film festivals.
I am delighted that Amie Buhari will be the first person to play Adjavella Samoura in the stage version of my story The Lost Life of Tilly MacLeod.
(Performances Friday 30th August 7pm & Saturday 31st August, 2.30pm and 6.30pm Camden NW5 2DB).
Amie’s recent credits include Noughts & Crosses, The Inside Man and Eastenders.
The main body of Amie’s work has been in the theatre. She has a wealth of new plays and experimental theatre to her credits. Amie is a versatile actor, effortlessly crossing genres such as Comedy to Greek Tragedies, Musicals and Physical Theatre.
Amie is also the Founder and Chief Executive of The Hebe Foundation.
I’m excited to report that the novel version of “The Lost Life of Tilly MacLeod” - written by me - is now ready for submission to publishers. Project coordinators are looking for a Senegalese author to tell the story of Adjavella, Tilly’s carer and translator. If you know any writers that might be interested please put them in touch.
This Australian grandmother is 81 years old and a full time carer. With fires in her home country, and unable to join the street protests she wants to change opinion, one conversation at a time. Join her campaign #granniesforgreta you need a hat, ribbon and a needle and thread.
What do you do in a power cut? Read Wilfred Owen poetry by candlelight apparently. The power was out in my street for six hours last night and with no charge in my devices I travelled back in time.
