This month, I spoke to satirical writer and Mr Toad-lover Graham Dransfield about his Brontë brothers, publishing, and finding humour in some of life’s darker moments…
Tell us a bit about yourself – where are you from and what do you do?
- I was born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.
- I am the eldest of three brothers: Jonny and Patrick.
- Jonny owns Morocco Bound, a cool indie bookshop-cum-bar in Bermondsey. I look forward to launching my book there.
- Patrick does marketing stuff. He divides his time between Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi as a Legal Business Development Executive.
- Both have had books published.
- It could be said that we three Dransfield brothers kind of mirror the Brontës, except we are not quite from Yorkshire, and are yet to set the world alight with our novels!
- I was brought up in Runcorn, Cheshire.
- I was educated as a boarder at Lancaster Royal Grammar School.
- I have a chemistry degree from Oxford and a Materials Ph.D. from Leeds.
- I used to work as an industrial chemist for ICI (remember them?) on Teesside, as did my dad.
- I have also worked for various Universities (all dysfunctional).
- I am now semi-retired and living in north London with my partner Annie, who hails from Aix-en-Provence.
- I have two lovely children (Rachel and William), who both live and work in the Northeast.
Where did your love of words come from?
I remember Dad reading bedtime stories to Jonny and me. I particularly loved The Wind in the Willows. Mr Toad remains my favourite literary figure of all time:
‘The clever men at Oxford
Know all there is to be knowed.
But they none of them knew one half
As much as intelligent Mr Toad!’
I think there’s a bit of Toady in all of us (present company excepted, lol)!
What made you join 26? And how long have you been a member?
I joined in 2023 through my cousin Lynda, who recommended 26 as an excellent forum for writers, with an enjoyable social side.
Have you been involved in any 26 projects?
Not yet, unless you include this one!
What’s your ideal scenario for writing? (A coffee shop? Quiet retreat? With or without music? What do you do to get yourself in the right frame of mind?)
I like to write when I’m in Montmartre, where I go every month. Perhaps I am inspired by the ghosts of the renowned local writers and artists. Eat your heart out, Picasso!
When in London, I write at a desk in my office at home. This is probably not ideal, as I’m easily distracted (at the time of writing this, I had one eye on the racing from Newmarket!).
I’m better off listening to YouTube and “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty.
I am seriously thinking of joining the British Library and doing my writing there.
Unfortunately, I have a rather high activation energy and haven’t got round to it yet!
What are you working on at the moment?
I am currently trying to get my satirical first book, Troutfishing on the Tees, published. I started this as a sitcom script at co-author Patrick’s suggestion. In the beginning, it was something to do in the evenings in Cambridge, which had not lived up to my expectations on a number of fronts. I was in a crummy job and my social life was crap (watch out for the yet unpublished book 4: No County for Old Men)!
The book-publishing process has certainly not been easy, and I have suffered an eighteen-month delay. I thought I had found a publisher, but I hadn’t really. Interested readers are advised to follow this link.
There is a book to be written about my publishing misadventures on their own! All I can say is to repeat the oft quoted advice: ‘‘If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
My other advice to my fellow authors is never sign away your rights to anyone.
I am now working with some very helpful people at Dragon Books in Stockton-on-Tees and looking to get published this autumn.
While I am waiting for book 1 to be edited, I’m working on books 2 and 3 of the Troutfishing trilogy, working titles Tangled up in Blue and Days in Transition.
Could you tell us about a piece of writing you’re particularly proud of?
The opening scene from book 4. I drew inspiration from my mother’s funeral in 2016. Despite the sadness, there were numerous funny incidents and a host of interesting characters in attendance, which I have built upon. Whenever anyone asks for an example of my work, this is my go-to extract.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Mainly from real life, as you may have already guessed. The first book was mainly therapy for my being made redundant by ICI in 2004. Music is also an inspiration. I am a life-long fan of Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was great to see John Fogerty at the O2 last year. I was recently called out as a Swiftie at a local Comedy Club – so, yes… ‘It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.’
Sport is another inspiration. I am a keen cricketer and long-suffering Leeds United and England football fan.
Additionally, I find politics fascinating. I was a constituent of Tony Blair in Sedgefield in the early noughties, and am now a constituent of Keir Starmer, so two local MP Labour Prime Ministers in one lifetime… That must be a unique coincidence!
Furthermore, my mother went to the same Grammar School, in Huddersfield, as Harold Wilson.
All of this is totally complementary with my view of myself as being at the centre of the universe, initially formed when JFK totally spoiled my 8th birthday party by getting himself shot in Dallas.
Finally, books, TV, and films have been a great source of inspiration to me. My all-time favourite book, TV series, and film are A Confederacy of Dunces, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, and The Producers respectively – you may notice that they are all comedies with a strong satirical element. I fervently hope that this is reflected in my forthcoming series of books!