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Written by Rosie Whitehead
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 As Janice Galloway strode onstage in a flamboyant pink and black ’50s dress and winked at the audience members she recognised, she seemed at ease and fun. She spoke about her life as a writer and read choice extracts from her new book. This is not about me is arguably entirely about her although she seemed anxious not to define it as autobiography as she has allowed herself leaps of fancy whenever she cannot remember details. She has written of her childhood, mostly dwarfed by her glitzy older sister (the dress was worn in her honour) who believed there is no excuse for ugly women. Times were tough when her mother left her father and they lived in a box room above a doctors’ surgery. A very young Galloway watches as her mother and sister try to live, squashed alongside each other, with the inevitable tensions that made life less than peachy for all of them.
When she is such a successful writer with award winning books The Trick is to Keep Breathing and Cora (also about her sister) under her belt, it was sad to hear that writing is not remotely a pleasure for Galloway. She spoke of her constant battle with her sense of inadequacy and the horror of blank pages and unbearable first drafts that she cannot see turning into anything anyone would want to read. If only she were less self-punishing; she’s undeniably a gifted writer and what’s more, her lilting and wonderfully natural reading voice and her confident stage presence made for an insightful and engaging hour.
- Janice Galloway
- The Edinburgh Book Festival
- 23rd August
- 19:00
Photo credit: Pascal Saez and The Edinburgh International Book Festival
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