Food & Drink: 1 - Soberano

A good many readers enjoy the mentions of food and drink in After Goya.

They say they add not only colour, but also a certain depth to the experience of reading an adventure set in modern-day Spain.


Good, that's as it should be.


The main character, Jordi Cotelo, drinks coñac, and, more specifically, Soberano. A few readers have asked, 'Why Soberano and not, say, Veterano, or Magno, or Terry, or Mascaró?'  All very popular brands of brandy in Spain.

Well, setting aside popular associations of class (for example, Mascaró is considered a luxury brand when really it's not) there's a double-edged play on words going on, and an allusion to a missing fragment of the jigsaw that is modern-day Spain.

In castellano Soberano means the equivalent of sovereign. In  Spanglish Soberano echoes sober (sobrio) plus año - year; implying age.
This sober-older association with Cotelo's choice of drink infers he is older, more sober - he's no eager young naif.

And the allusion to a missing part of the jigsaw?

Well, much of After Goya is taken up with characters asking and placing who was where when?
Passing reference is made to the 'Monarchists' - but it's not stated which monarchists.
Passing reference is made to the 23rd of February, 1981 (23-F in Spanish history), when King Juan Carlos stayed up through the night, hustling between factions and broadcasting calls for calm, unity and, ultimately, the surrender of patsy Coronel Tejero's gang of Boschistas.

The King (and, interestingly, the medium of radio), and the institution of constitutional monarchy, came out winners of the debacle. The monarch's subsequent approval ratings prompted the old Stalinist butcher, Santiago Carillo (then posing as a Euro-communist), to say, "God save the king. Today, we are all monarchists."

Juan Carlos had proved to be a steadying, sober influence.

He may not be mentioned by name in After Goya - but Juan Carlos is there in spirit.

READERS' COMMENTS - 19

"This started off at a cracking pace and I loved the surprise 70-year jump to the present. The characters were engaging and convincing … The subject matter is interesting too ... an eye-opener … a fine international thriller … a really enjoyable and satisfying read with all the important ingredients that make and season a good thriller. I thought this was excellent and a great read."

READERS' COMMENTS - 18

"Liked the pace of this piece and the themes and ideas. I think the pace is cracking ... All interesting stuff and a highly enjoyable read."

READERS' COMMENTS - 17

"I am extremely impressed ...
an excellent and accomplished writer who has that wonderful capability of convincing the reader that the characters, locations and plot are all authentic."

Ian Rankin @BCNegra 2010

Ian Rankin was in town a couple of weeks ago. He was here to receive the Pepe Carvalho prize. The prize, named after Manuel Vázquez Montalbán's detective, is awarded annually to a writer working in the crime genre in recognition of their career achievements. Established in 2005 previous winners include: Michael Connelly, P. D. James, Henning Mankell and Francisco González Ledesma.

The Prize giving, held at the City Hall in Barcelona, coincides with a week long festival of crime writing - BCNegra. And so it was that Ian Rankin took part in a round-table discussion at a former chapel in the Raval.

I went along with a friend, and fellow writer, to check it out.

Well, I went along to check it out but I also had another agenda. I'm still in search of a well-known writer to scan my novel After Goya and provide a suitably glowing endorsement for the cover. Who better, I thought, than Mr Rankin? Well read, well liked and well regarded creator of one of the UK's most popular fictional characters, surely his imprimatur would strike the right chord with a lot of potential, discerning readers?

I only have one heavily marked up and annotated proof copy at home so I printed off the first chapter and cover design and took them along. I could have ordered a clean version but I didn't want to weigh the man down. I thought if I could persuade him to take the first fifteen pages then, if he liked what he'd read, I would send him an ARC.

I bottled it.

Before the talk started I sat at a café terrace table immediately next to his, not intentionally, he just happened to be sitting at the next table to where my friend was sitting. He was with a group of four or five people. I wasn't nervous, or anything like, but I didn't want to crash his conversation. It didn't seem polite to interrupt his pre-stage quiet time. Maybe catch him afterwards I thought, congratulate him on the prize, and ask whether he was enjoying Barcelona. Not thinking, of course, there would be a very long line of readers all wanting him to sign copies of their books.

What a plonker. (Me! Not him!)

But, to be honest, I did feel a bit of a fraud. I've only read two of the man's books. And there I was, without a copy of his book to sign, contemplating asking him to read, and in a sense, sign, my book.

His talk was good, he gives good chat. It wasn't so much a round-table discussion, more that he was being prompted by a trio of writers and readers. Interesting and witty, though, as my friend noted, his chat was very much more aimed at readers rather than writers. Nonetheless it was an entertaining and pleasant way to spend an hour or so in the Raval (Montalbán's childhood barrio).

If you enjoy crime fiction, and if you ever get the chance, then do get yourself along to BCNegra. It really is a very good event, with a range of interesting discussions featuring some very interesting and talented writers from across the globe. Most events are simultaneously translated (and the translation is good) and all are free.

And I'm still left with the problems of who, and how, to approach a well-known writer to give me a good quote for my cover. Any ideas?

READERS' COMMENTS - 16

"An exciting and intriguing thriller with such an involved plot!

All the same, a cracking tale ... almost a Spanish Maigret ... a really good read ... all the makings of a page turner."

READERS' COMMENTS - 15

"This story has a fast-paced plot, well drawn characters, strong imagery and a good bit of tension to carry the reader along. The characters were believable and their motivations seemed genuine ... Overall, an intriguing and enjoyable read."

READERS' COMMENTS - 14

"I would buy this book. Personally, this novel is interesting to me because it takes place in cities and regions I know: the Costa del Sol, Madrid. I know about art, and the Spanish Civil War, and, having lived in Eastern Europe, understand the Russians. The story was much better than I expected . . . the plot was sophisticated. The dialogue is realistic. The characters are compelling. I want to read more ... I am really impressed . . . and I read a lot."

READERS' COMMENTS - 13

"This was a great read. Well drawn and observed characters and locations. The story has a strong sense of movement which carries the reader along without being encumbered by too much detail and expostion. Where needed the exposition is well handled ... You have a literate but easy style ... In parts the extract is very cinematic - some would see this as a problem but not this reader. There are some wonderful moments ... the extract left me wanting to know more."

READERS' COMMENTS - 12

"This is a great story ... a page turning thriller. The characters were well defined, well created and each was very disitinct. They were believable and immediately became very real in my head, which to me is a sign of creating a good strong character. I thought the storyline and pace were good, and didn't feel any lulls in the plot. It was intriguing and I felt compelled to read on. The style you write in I feel complements the genre you have chosen very well.
... I was very impressed at the level of knowledge displayed in the historical parts. If the writer is comfortable with a subject it always shows, as it did here. Altogether I thought these were very good and extremely well written chapters."

READERS' COMMENTS - 11

"I have to admit that this is not the sort of thing I usually read but nonetheless I found it engaging and very well described as well as written. The language and dialogue fitted the story perfectly and the characters and settings were believable and even tangible. It flowed very well too although the odd sentence did seem a bit abrupt and short; however, this did not detract from the story. If anything it made it better, particularly in the beginning where it gave the plot a snappy pace. It maintained a believable and constant pace throughout. I'll say it again, although not my favourite sort of literature, I found this thoroughly enjoyable."

READERS' COMMENTS - 10

"This is a taut and well-written story which has mystery, drama and authenticity. You have an eye for detail and great knowledge of the subject, background and settings.

Overall this is a professional piece of work and I could see it as a good holiday read."

READERS' COMMENTS - 9

"This is my kind of story, I am extremely impressed. You are an excellent and accomplished writer who has that wonderful capability of convincing the reader that the characters, locations and plot are all authentic."

READERS' COMMENTS - 8

" ... like something Greg Isles or Peter James would write and I think this is a very captivating story with interesting characters ... it works very well. The settings are interesting and you seem to know a lot about Spain and Spanish customs/food etc.
All in all an entertaining read."

READERS' COMMENTS - 7

"What a great story! It unfolds quite nicely whilst keeping twists to lead you off on another track. Your knowledge of Spain is obviously an important part of your theme, and it gives it the colour that adventure stories need. The start had me believing I was in the plane and having just completed a confrontation, then the switch in time of Chapter One brings things alive.
The impatience of the surveillance team gives feeling to the frustration of the job. The mystery of the characters and their role in the search for the paintings is well held.
This story held me throughout ... making a very good novel. The snippets of comedy serve us to recall the skills of Ian Fleming's style ... An excellent piece of work."

READERS' COMMENTS - 6

"This started off at a cracking pace and I loved the surprise 70-year jump to the present.
The characters were engaging and convincing and I could picture the scene on the boat perfectly. The subject matter is interesting too, as I don't know much about illegal art trafficking and this was an eye-opener. The author has done a lot of research, it seems, and has all the elements of a fine international thriller here. The conversation with the sadistically surgical exposure of X's [redacted] past, the train scene, Cotelo's remembering his dead daughter, for me were highlights of a really enjoyable and satisfying read. The many well-observed details of everyday life impinging on the adventure, like Juan's impatience to finish on time to avoid his girlfriend's wrath, are the important ingredients that make and season a good thriller. I thought this was excellent and a great read."

READERS' COMMENTS - 5

"This is an exciting extract that I enjoyed reading. Straight in from the opening sentence - BANG - literally - which I feel is probably essential for a novel of this genre.

The narrative is slick and well developed which adds to the pace and unfolding of the story. There are lots of characters, switching here and there, but the author has structured this so well, and in such a way, for there to be no doubt or confusion in the mind of the reader as to what is happening. The writing is dialogue heavy in places, but in my opinion this works well also. Most impressive were the descriptions of Spanish cities, clearly the author is a lover of, and is very knowledgeable about, the country. On the whole, a cracking opening."

READERS' COMMENTS - 4

"I enjoyed reading these chapters immensely. The story, right from the onset is gripping and very well written ... You've got a superb story here Mr Phillipps. The characters are well drawn, nicely varied and convincing. The Spanish Civil War introduction sets the scene perfectly for things to come. Art heists are a winner ... intrigue and eccentric interesting characters ... many finely phrased metaphors. The English art-historian being tailed on the train; Otto Krafft's will sending his granddaughter Sabine on the quest to Spain; Franz Kepple; the N-27 organization - all the makings of a superb thriller."

READERS' COMMENTS - 3

"This was an intriguing read from the very start, it kept my interest and I read it all in one go. Short parts of the story, like pieces of a jigsaw were quickly put into context and given ‘realism’ and depth. All linked to one central theme, the two works of art by Goya. The plot was developed by using the different characters to give different perspectives. There was a good balance between character development and setting the scene. These were only developed enough to whet your appetite and then moved on to the next. This gave the story a good pace.
The background/backdrop to the story seemed to be well researched and added ‘colour’ and realism to the setting for the story. I really do want to see how the ‘jigsaw pieces’ will fit together. I would buy this book to find out. Great!"

ART & ARTISTS

Not surprisingly there are a good few references to art and artists in After Goya.

Here's a list of artists you'll find referenced in the text:

• Hieronymous Bosch (1450-1516)
  

• Georges Braque (1882-1963)
  

• John Sell Cotman (1782-1842)
  

• John Robert Cozens (1752-1797)
  

• Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978)
  

• El Greco (1541-1614)
  

• Thomas Girtin (1775-1802)
  

• John 'Mad' Martin (1789-1854)

• Fredric Marès (1893-1991)
  

• Joan Miró (1893-1983)
  

• Edvard Munch (1863-1944)
  

• Bartolomé Estebán Murillo (1617-1682)
  

• Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
  

• Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665)
  

• Julio Romero de Torres (1874-1930)
  

• Joseph Mallard William Turner (1775-1851)

• Jan van Eyck (? 14th century)
  

• Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velázquez (1599-1660)
  

• Francisco de Zurburán (1598-1664)
  

Specific works referenced:

• Guernica – Picasso

• The Cudgel Fight – Goya

Art Movements referenced:

• Expressionism
• Futurism
• Constructivism
• Superrealism.
  

There are also hidden references, or more accurately, allusions, to artists and works inserted within various phrases throughout the text – but those are for me to know and for you to find.

READERS' COMMENTS - 2

"This is a strong thriller. It’s tautly written, has good pace, good dialogue and an intriguing plot. The prologue is gripping and hooks the reader into the story. From then on the narrative moves at a cracking pace. I like the way you regularly switch between scenes. It’s done smoothly and injects pace into the novel. Characters are all well drawn ... You write well — this is a smooth and easy read. Dialogue is consistently good. I couldn’t find any places where it seemed stilted. The dialogue helps to move the plot forward and injects pace. The basic plot seems a good and intriguing one. Settings are fine. The bombing at the start is atmospheric and the bit at the start of Chapter Four about Madrid adds to the novel’s Spanish feel."

The Colossus or The Panic

When writing the description of one of the two missing Goya miniatures (the Córdoba Goya), this is the image I had uppermost in mind, combined with a recollection of John 'Mad' Martin's The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The untitled painting on the left, often referred to as The Colossus or The Panic, is now not thought to have been painted by Goya.
(If you click on the images you'll be able to see much more detail)

You can read the story behind the re-attribution at the Times Online here. There's also a follow up opinion piece here, and Ben Macintyre shares his take on the issue of authorship here. All interesting stuff.

I don't why the story took so long to appear in the UK, I recall reading about the re-attribution in the Spanish press in, I think, May 2008 -- a good six or seven months before mention in The Times.

I visited the Prado a few weeks after the announcement, in July 2008. The painting was still on view and still atrributed to Goya, but, as the attendant patiently explained, was in the process of being re-appraised.

And here's John 'Mad' Martin's The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which can be viewed at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle.

READERS' COMMENTS - 1

"An excellent piece of writing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this extract. Your characters jumped out of the page at me and the plot pushed forward with perfect pace. Just enough information was delivered to pique my interest without labouring too much.
I definitely want to read more of this, wonderful page turning quality, and I'm intrigued at what will happen next and what happened in the past. I'm sorry this review doesn't have any constructive criticism for you; it simply doesn't need any. I felt like I had picked this off the shelf in a bookshop rather than reading unpublished work. Your are clearly very competent in this genre and I'm sure you'll achieve great things with this work."

ME & MY BIG MOUTH - A quick flick review

"An intelligent thriller based around the discovery of two lost Goya paintings, Haarlson Phillipps' After Goya is as good, if not better, than a lot of the so-called blockbusters I used to have to read at Waterstone's. It is, I think, self-published, or at least it will be soon, and it surprises me that it hasn't found a mainstream publisher."

So says Scott Pack over at Me and My Big Mouth.

Welcome if you've landed here via Scott's blog - you may want to check out the After Goya website here.

Well, what to say? Thanks to Scott for taking the time to read the novel and giving it such a positive plug. And thank you for taking the time to make your way here.

I'm obviously very pleased by Scott's plug. I check into his blog every day, and have done so for the past couple of years, so I'm aware his blog is widely followed and well regarded by readers, writers, book sellers and people in the book trade.

The Guardian once referred to Scott as "the most powerful man in UK publishing" when referring to his role as Head Buyer at Waterstone's. Scott is now a publishing director at The Friday Project, a HarperCollins imprint.

Self-published? Well, no, in fact, at the moment of writing, it is not published at all, and is still available to any mainstream publisher to pick up. All I have is an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of a project I had planned to publish through YouWriteOn's botched POD (Print On Demand) scheme.

I forwarded a print-ready PDF and cover, prepared by professional book designer Xavier Peralta, to YouWriteOn in October last year. I deliberately elected to not opt for the so-called distribution deal with ISBN attached. The idea was to get a proof for limited private circulation to a few trusted readers to help identify typos and any potential structural problems and get feedback on the cover design.

Then the plan, step by careful, considered step, was to put the corrected book back into production, again without an ISBN, for circulation to other writers for endorsements, which could be featured on a re-designed cover; to bloggers and reviewers to build pre-publication awareness; and potential English language book distributors and retailers in Spain (I'm convinced there's a market for the book among English speaking expats in Spain). Then, and only then, all being well, would I then sign up for an ISBN and go at selling the book like crazy through UK and Spanish bookshops and online.

That was the plan. I spent many, many hours developing a marketing strategy in preparation for a proposed April launch. (To coincide with Sant Jordi - the national book day here in Catalunya). I even planned a reception-launch at the Ateneu in Barcelona, the prestigious intellectual gymnasium (and host to the largest school of creative writing in Europe).

That was the plan.

However, despite receiving notification that the book would be ready around about December 10th (I booked a flight to the UK ), I never heard anything again. Days, weeks, months passed with no word. It seemed there were quite a few pissed off writers in a similar position.

Then, in March-April, with no apology or explanation offered, I received an email telling me that Legend and YWO had formed a new imprint called New Generation. Thinking I could get the plan back on track I re-submitted the book. I received four copies in July.

Then Scott Pack, Me and My Big Mouth, put up a post about self-published covers and I sent him a jpeg of the cover for After Goya. He straightaway responded with a few incredibly useful suggestions, and in passing, offered to review the book. I sent him a copy.

Then I heard YWO and Legend had parted company, hardly encouraging, and I began thinking "here we go again". As a friend wisely advised, it is not a good idea to be in the middle of someone else's divorce. It seemed After Goya was doomed to be an orphan.

But then I received a few more very positive reports from readers of the typescript, including feedback from a reader for Spanish publishing giant Planeta, who is confident the book would sell well in Spanish translation. And work on a second novel, Heavensfield, was going well. This combined to encourage me to take one last spin on the UK agent/publisher merry-go-round.

So that's where I'm at now; I have a proof copy marked up with 290 minor corrections; a couple of positive quotes I can use for the cover; a website (still being developed); a UK agent looking at the full manuscript on an exclusive basis until November 6th; and a second novel well on its way to completion.

I very much want to see the book in Spanish translation, but without representation that seems impossible. I've yet to hook up with a Barcelona based literary agent, but I'll be on the case very soon.

So, if you're an editor looking to augment your list with a commercial "intelligent literary thriller" then please get in touch, and I'll put you in touch with the agent currently considering the full MS.

If you're a reader and would like to read a copy of After Goya then I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you can leave an email address on the website, or here in the comments, and I'll contact you when the book is finally available.

Thanks for your patience, and thanks to everyone who have freely given their support and encouragement thus far in this tortuously long journey to publication.

LINGO BINGO

The surest way to lose a reader is to make them feel stupid.

I received another reader's report over the weekend. It wasn't glowing. 'Far too much Spanish,' was one comment. They're probably right - I found 300 instances in the text where I've used Spanish - individual words like sí and a couple of complete phrases such as: 'De primero: salmorejo, y de segundo: pollo. Postre no, tomaré una manzana.' Translation: 'For my first course I'll have cold tomato soup, Córdoba style, and for my second course I'll have chicken. No dessert, I'll have an apple.'

Tricky. A good many readers enjoyed the references to Spanish food and drink, reporting it added another layer to the novel's authenticity.

Using a Spanish word like carajillo - a coffee with a splash of brandy or rum, whisky, vodka or whatever - is more economical than spelling out a coffee with a splash of brandy.

In general English is a much more specific language than Spanish. However, when it comes to food and drink Spanish is much more specific, often using one word where English would use three or more. Viz. bacalao - salted cod; melindros - sponge fingers; calimacho - Coke and cheap red wine; cortado - espresso coffee cut with either hot or cold milk; soave - coffee and Coca-Cola with ice; sangria - a summer punch made from red wine, fruit, ice, etc etc.

'I know what sangria is,' I hear some readers say. 'I don't need you to spell it out for me.'

But, what about a clerico? A sangria type drink made with white wine or cava.

'I know what a paella is.' Are you sure? Go visit the Paella Professor.

So, now I'm sat here with a few sheets of paper filled with strings of page and line numbers, like some arcane version of bingo, as I review, amend or not, and tick off each instance of Spanish language.

How much knowledge of other languages, and other customs, should a writer presume a reader has?

Should writers play safe and trot out the usual suspects: sangria, paella, vino, cerveza etc and risk reinforcing stereotypes? Or, should writers tell it like it is, using context as far as possible to reveal meaning, and push readers just a little beyond their comfort zone?