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John Geraint

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Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

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July 2022

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Multi-award-winning John Geraint is one of the UK’s most experienced documentary film-makers. Born in the Rhondda Valley, Wales, he began his broadcasting career in 1978 as the BBC's youngest ever radio producer. His work in television took him around the globe to produce and direct for major international broadcasters National Geographic, the History Channel and France Télévisions, as well as BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and S4C.
His 2001 film, 'Do Not Go Gentle', a celebration of Dylan Thomas’s great poem, was nominated for one of the world’s foremost media prizes, the Banff Rockies, alongside blue-chip programmes like The West Wing, Blue Planet and Band of Brothers.
John Geraint directed a number of BBC history documentaries including the acclaim ...more

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The book appears highly autobiographical. However, readers are familiar with the idea of unreliable narrators. Your book works on a number of levels but both Jac and the apparent narrator - the chapters in italics - could be unreliable. How much is autobiographical? 50%? 90%? 10%?

John Geraint Great question, Ruthie, and thanks for asking. My biography is very, very similar to Jac's - same birthplace, same schools, year, same house where we …moreGreat question, Ruthie, and thanks for asking. My biography is very, very similar to Jac's - same birthplace, same schools, year, same house where we grew up and many, many other things in common. And I think it's true to say that people who knew me back then would recognise me and some of my friends as well in what I've written. But, as I keep insisting 'The Great Welsh Auntie Novel' *is* a work of fiction. Neither Jac nor the 'Novelist' who's writing about him is 'me' (whoever I am), even though many of the lessons they're learning as the novel progresses are ones that I've struggled with, and still do. Does that help? I'm reluctant to answer your question with a percentage, because - in some aspects - the autobiographical element may be less than 10%; in others it could be closer to 90%. "It all comes down to what you believe in the end"! But thanks again for asking, and thank you, above all, for reading 'The Great Welsh Auntie Novel'.(less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

John Geraint Writer's block is problem that my fictional (anti-)hero, Jac encounters as soon as he begins to write his anti-novel-within-the-novel. Try as he might…moreWriter's block is problem that my fictional (anti-)hero, Jac encounters as soon as he begins to write his anti-novel-within-the-novel. Try as he might, he can't find his Great Arresting Opening Sentence...

'It couldn’t be that difficult – every story began somewhere, every book had one. And he already had the crucial first two words: ‘Tonypandy Square…’.
It was the third that was causing difficulty. And the ones beyond that...
He realised that he’d hit a problem experienced by many famous authors. Writer’s block. It was hard work, being a novelist. Undeterred, he embarked on a new tack. Instead of focusing so hard, so head-on, on his arresting Opening, he began to consider the Big Picture of his novel. The themes. The plot and subplots. The characters. The narrative twists and turns. The inciting incident (another thing he’d read about). But did an anti-novel have to have any of these elements? That was the question, and it was a real poser. His fountain pen was in his hand, ready for inspiration, poised above the white page; but it seemed more fruitful just to think. So that’s what he did, retreating into his imagination (as writers must), losing track of what was going on around him. His mind was on other things. What a fascinating process it was, this writing.'

But did his unique technique for dealing with writer's block actually work? You'll have to read the novel to find out!(less)

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John Geraint’s books

Average rating: 4.42 · 19 ratings · 7 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Great Welsh Auntie Novel 4.64 avg rating — 11 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Up the Rhondda!: A Peculiar sort of Hiraeth 4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Up the Rhondda!: A peculiar sort of hiraeth really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Up the Rhondda! 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Rhondda Romance: The Great Welsh Auntie Novel 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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John Geraint's Blog

Writing 'The Great Welsh Auntie Novel'

This was my first work of fiction - I've spent more than 40 years making documentaries for television, as a BBC staffer and an independent producer.

If they’re lucky, TV producer/directors like me get to work in exotic locations the world over. In India and lsrael, Fiji and France, Tanzania, Korea and Brazil, I’ve documented other people’s stories. It was an immense privilege. And in 'The Story Of Read more of this blog post »

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Published on August 05, 2022 04:15

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