In the past I have occasionally repeated
an interview if it was relevant to do so, but as far as I can remember I have never
interviewed anyone twice, famous or otherwise. Tonight is the exception, because
Suzan Collins, whom I interviewed in 2013, is such a multi-talented person and excels in just about everything she does, either as healthcare specialist, consultant,
or author.
It’s time for an update, so sit back
and enjoy!!
Suzan, It’s almost 4 years since we last
talked and exchanged news, so what have you been doing since 2013?
It’s
been a busy couple of years. SPC Consultancy is busy especially in inspecting
care homes and delivering training on the different types of dementia and I am
the Director of Get Writing, East Anglian Press, oh and the East Anglian
Festival of Culture #eafoc.
The last time
we met your publisher was due to release ‘Beyond My Control: How the Health and
Social Sector Need Not Have Failed My Mother.’ How is that going?
It’s going really well and thanks for asking. The main
reason for writing the book was to tell people what happened and to give advice
on what they can do if it’s happening to them or someone close to them. The
book is selling well, of course people can get a copy from their local library
and I’ve had feedback from many telling me how it has helped them and guided
them.
Before I ask you about ‘Get Writing’
have you written any more books?
Yes,
I wrote two books for staff working in care on the topic of Supervision:
Supervision
Skills pack (buy singularly or both together)
Supervision Skills has been devised to equip managers and
senior staff with the knowledge and skills to enable them to provide
supervision meetings in the workplace. This workbook will provide guidance on
how supervision is to be delivered to staff and explains the processes and
requirements for supervision.
Making
the Most of Your Supervision
This workbook is written and
aimed at new staff or staff who want a more effective supervision meeting with
their supervisor.
Was there any particular reason for writing them?
I do believe that staff need to be supported in their
job, there is a lot to do and not a lot
of time to do it in. By having 1-1 supervision sessions with a trained
supervisor they can share any concerns they have and receive feedback on their
practice. Unfortunately some supervisors are given this role without any
training which can result in badly handled 1-1 supervision sessions or not held
because the supervisor is not confident to facilitate the sessions.
I hear you’re
the author of the Chatty Cat series. Tell me more…
Chatty Cat is my cat I got from the rescue centre. They
named her Twinkle but as she chats a lot Chatty Cat seemed more appropriate.
In 2014 I wrote the first book in the Chatty Cat series
which is about Chatty Cat, settling into her new home with her hooman, me. Yesterday,
14th August 2016, I released book 4.
Book 1: Chatty
Cat: My Purr-Fect New Home
Book
2: Chatty Cat: Spring Into Summer
Book 3: Chatty
Cat: My Purr-Fect Friends
Book 4: Chatty
Cat: Activity Book.
These books are unique
as they are narrated to me by my cat. You can read about the life of a cat and
at the same time read some helpful tips on caring for cats.
I notice
that Chatty Cat has her own Facebook page, blog and Twitter account. What does
she chat about?
‘I tell my own stories in my Chatty Cat books
because they are about me and what I do and what I think. They are books for
children but adults read them too #chattycat.’
I know
someone else’s pet was in Chatty Cat Book 3 after an auction for an excellent cause. If someone wants a chance to have their pet featured in book 5:
Chatty Cat: Autumn into Winter, is this an opportunity to do so?
In book 3 ‘Chatty Cat: My Purr-Fect Friends’ I ran
an auction in which the highest bidder had their pet named in print (money from
auction went to Alzheimer’s Research UK), I am again offering a lucky reader
the chance to have their pet named in book 5 ‘Chatty Cat: Autumn into Winter’ with
all monies raised from the auction going to a cat rescue centre. Click here if
you would like to place a bid https://www.facebook.com/suzancollinschattycat/
I see in book 3 ‘Chatty Cat: My
Purr-Fect Friends’ you’ve touched on sensitive subjects of bullying and dementia
(in different chapters). Is there a particular reason why you wrote about these
two subjects?
Children and adults suffer from bullies and
bullying and also children and adults will know someone who has dementia. Both
subjects need to be out there so they know:
·
What bullying is and how to stop being a bully (if
they are one) or if they’re being bullied what to do
·
What dementia is
Both children and adults read Chatty Cat books and
as you say I have only touched on these two subjects (or rather Chatty Cat
has). We will be expanding on them but not sure at the moment if I should have
them in a chapter in book 5 or in separate books told by Chatty Cat. Perhaps
readers can let me know.
If you would like to buy any of Suzan’s books
here’s the link to her author page on Amazon. I know from experience that her Chatty
Cat series is great fun and that her more serious books are fascinating to read
and highly respected. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suzan-Collins/e/B0037DXY46/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Tell
me about: Get Writing, East Anglian Press and the East Anglian Festival of Culture
#eafoc.
Two years ago I ran a set of writing workshops and I had
some fab authors come to facilitate some workshops for me: Jayne-Marie Barker,
Glynis Smy, Rosy Thornton, Jo Wilde and Ann
Bowyer. The workshops covered Getting
Started and Planning .
Researching . Editing . Publishing . Marketing. Some of the writers were already writing and
some enthused by the 3-day workshop said they would start writing. I expected
for the three days to finish and that would be that but one writer announced
that she was so motivated she was going to write a book. I said something like
‘If you are serious I will help you self-publish it and if this is done before
my pop-up bookshop in July you can have a stall. Every writer then said I am
going to do it too and they did. We formed a group ‘Waveney Author Group’ (WAG)
and we’re currently on tour (a year on tour and it ends next month).
The pop-up bookshop July 2015 was such a success authors booked almost
immediately and we were soon full. In July 16 we held the first ever East
Anglian Festival of Eafoc #eafoc with authors coming from across the country.
We are now planning for the second festival which will be in July 2017 and will
have a wider genre.
Each year more writers come to our Get Writing workshops and to date I have
helped 22 authors independently publish their books and see on Amazon, many are
published under my imprint, East Anglian
Press.
Along with running the structured writing workshops
Get Writing also invites people who want to come and join other writers and
finish writing that book in the fabulous 55 acre grounds of Gunton Hall and
finish at 4pm with a swim in the pool (and have some time afterwards if writers
wish to discuss the writing they have written that day).
*Come for the facilitated writing workshops or come and join other
writers and finish writing that book!*
The first of our 3-day writing workshop this Nov
will be a little different, yes it will cover fiction but in particular it will
be a day of ‘Writing a Novel.’ I have booked 10 times novelist Jane Lovering
from Yorkshire and I am very excited. And if writers wish they can book our
2-night writing retreat in Jan which is being held in an 18th-century country house hotel. Writers
can write in their rooms or in the room we have booked and there is the option
to discuss their work after dinner around the open working fire.
Contact details for Chatty Cat:
Contact details for Suzan:
·
Blog: https://suzancollins.wordpress.com/
