Tag Archives: 2014

CrimeFest 2014

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This year’s CrimeFest happened last weekend, May 15-18 at the Bristol Royal Hotel. So, what’s CrimeFest? It’s the annual gathering for anyone who has any interest in reading, writing, or simply talking about (sometimes quite loudly over several drinks) that curious and  bloody phenomenon: crime. Especially crime fiction, but there’s always room for true crime, too. Why go? You want to meet authors? Find out what they’re writing? Try to work out how people with such deviant imaginations can be really great company? These are all good reasons. Mark Billingham, one of Britain’s best-selling thriller writers was one of the featured authors this year. His books are spell-binding and disturbing – and he gave one of the funniest interviews I’ve had the pleasure of hearing. At the rather less dark end of the spectrum of crime-writing, Simon Brett was on top form as a speaker. There was also masses to learn about the Iceland Noir writing which has acquired such an enthusiastic following on UK TV – you could even have won a trip to the Iceland Noir convention in Reykjavik.

CrimeFest4 B Forshaw EUROCRIME Panel

CrimeFest4 B Forshaw EUROCRIME Panel

The long weekend is full of difficult choices: should I go to the panel discussion on historical crime or does it clash with the one which asks Does a crime novel have to have something to say? The one that deals with the problem of When your character isn’t qualified to solve crimes, or What have old thrillers ever done for us? Choices, choices, choices. There was a quiz on the Thursday evening when we discovered just how competitive we all were – who said you couldn’t argue with the judge? Not us. The Gala Dinner on the Saturday, was a triumph of organisation and good food, which kept us all comfortable in our seats, happy to celebrate the award of prizes for humorous crime, for e-books and audio books, for works in translation and for Euro Crime. And afterwards you could linger at the bar ….

CrimeFest 6 crimefest bar

The joy of CrimeFest is that it doesn’t discriminate between readers, writers (wannabe or distinguished), publishers or agents, nor does anyone show the slightest sense of exclusivity. You can find yourself talking to a top author or an ardent fan. You can discover how the Alibi Channel’s crime dramas Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and The Murdoch Mysteries have developed from page to screen; or hear the husband and wife team which makes up the author Nicci French (Nicci Gerrard and Sean French) discuss how they combine their relationship with writing international best-selling psychological suspense.

CrimeFest5 Alison Joseph, Felix Francis, Susan Moody

CrimeFest5 Alison Joseph, Felix Francis, Susan Moody

Alas it’s all over for this year – but it will happen again next year. If you enjoy crime writing or reading, or just want a slightly different weekend with a lively mix of people, all of whom seem eager to talk to you (I think writing, or reading, about terrible events must make people appreciate the good things about real life) then you might want to think about giving it a try.

 
Penny Deacon
Photos: thanks to Ali Karim of Shots Magazine

 

 

Chelsea Flower Show 2014

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The Chelsea Flower Show 2014 is in full swing and a number of celebrities have made an appearance at BrandAlley’s Italian Renaissance themed garden. Amy Willerton also appeared and posed as Venus in a giant clam shell. Top to bottom: Jennifer Saunders and Edmondson, Mary Nightingale, Tim Wonnacott, Amy Willerton, Anneka Rice, Lesley Garrett, Mary Berry and Nick & Jessica Knowles

jennifersaunders

chelseaflowershow timwonnacot amywillerton annekarice lesleygarrett maryberry nickandjessicaknowlesDo you like the Chelsea Flower Show?

 

 

New Godzilla Film Trailer

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For those who love a blockbuster: the new Godzilla film from British film director Gareth Edwards and starring the amazing Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

What do you think? Will you go and see it?
Godzilla-poster 2014

In UK cinemas now.

godzillaAn epic rebirth to Toho’s iconic Godzilla, this spectacular adventure, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, pits the world’s most famous monster against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity’s scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.

Gareth Edwards directs “Godzilla,” which stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass”), Oscar® nominee Ken Watanabe (“The Last Samurai,” “Inception”), Elizabeth Olsen (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Oscar® winner Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient,” “Cosmopolis”), and Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), with Oscar® nominee David Strathairn (“Good Night, and Good Luck.,” “The Bourne Legacy”) and Bryan Cranston (“Argo,” TV’s “Breaking Bad”).

The Sunday Times Rich List 2014

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sundaytimesrichlist2014SIR PAUL McCARTNEY SHARES £710m FORTUNE WITH WIFE NANCY SHEVELL IN MUSIC MILLIONAIRES TOP 50

 

SIMON COWELL’S WEALTH IS UP BY £50m TO £300m

 

ADELE HEADS YOUNG MUSIC RICH LIST WITH £45m

 

ONE DIRECTION SHARE £70m FORTUNE

 

Sir Paul McCartney, now 71 and still touring, has added £30m to the wealth he shares with his third wife, Nancy, 53. With Shevell’s £150m stake in her family’s American trucking operation, the couple’s fortune stands at £710m.  The 2014 chart of the 50 wealthiest music millionaires in Britain and Ireland is published in The Sunday Times Rich List 2014 this Sunday, May 18.

 

Rising quickly up the list is Simon Cowell, worth £300m. His contracts for ITV’s X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent have helped to boost his fortune by £50m in a year. The success of the Ministry of Sound record label and brand has helped to add £70m to the wealth of Lord Palumbo, the Liberal Democrat peer, who is now worth £270m.

 

The combined wealth of Irish band U2 is down by £92m at £428m after the retirement of Paul McGuinness, their former manager, who now appears in the Music Millionaires Rich List in his own right with a £104m fortune. However, the individual wealth of the four band members, Paul Hewson (Bono), Adam Clayton, Dave Evans (the Edge) and Larry Mullen, has gone up £3m each, as last year they shared a joint fortune of £520m with McGuinness.

 

Mohammad and Kamaliya Zahoor, worth £300m, join the music wealth chart on the strength of Ukranian singer Kamaliya’s burgeoning pop career, funded by her entrepreneur husband Mohammad, who is a British-Pakistani citizen. Music mogul Roger Ames, who runs part of Live Nation, the concert search engine, returns to the list with a £120m fortune. David Bowie’s latest album The Next Day, which reached No 1 in the UK last year, helped to boost his fortune by £20m and for the first time we include the £15m fortune of his wife Iman Abdulmajid, to put the couple’s total wealth this year at £135m.

 

Take That singer Gary Barlow, who was worth just £30m in 2009, has added £5m to his wealth in the past year, bringing his personal fortune to £65m. We make no deduction to his wealth for the recent court ruling on tax avoidance until the matter is fully resolved.

 

 

THE 2014 SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST

THE MUSIC MILLIONAIRES *indicates National rank in Irish 250

 

Music rank2014 Music rank2013 Name 2014  wealth Wealth increase/decrease National rank
1 1 Len Blavatnik £10,000m down £1,000m 4
2 2 Clive Calder £1,400m up £50m 62=
3 3 Sir Cameron Mackintosh £1,000m up £175m 98=
4 4 Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell £710m up £30m 142
5 5 Lord Lloyd-Webber £640m up £20m 162
6 6 U2 £428m down £92m *19
7 7 Simon Fuller £382m up £7m 256
8= 8= Simon Cowell £300m up £50m 307=
8= – Mohammad and Kamaliya Zahoor £300m New 307=
10 10 Sir Elton John £260m up £20m 353=
11 15= Lord Palumbo £250m up £70m 367=
12 11= Sir Mick Jagger £215m up £15m 435=
13 11= David and Victoria Beckham £210m up £10m 442=
14 14 Keith Richards £200m up £15m 458=
15 13 Michael Flatley £193m up £2m *44
16 15= Olivia and Dhani Harrison £190m up £10m 495=
17 15= Sting £180m No change 514=
18 19 Ringo Starr £170m up £10m 549=
19 20 Roger Waters £160m up £10m 571=
20 18 Denis Desmond and Caroline Downey £153m down £8m *56
21= 23 Eric Clapton £150m up £10m 607=
21= 21 Sir Tim Rice £150m up £1m 607=
23 22 Sir Tom Jones £145m No change 639=
24 24 Rod Stewart £140m up £10m 647=
25 29= David Bowie and Iman Abdulmajid £135m up £35m 666=
26 29= Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne £130m up £30m 691=
27= 25 Roger Ames £120m New 751=
27= 27= Robbie Williams £120m up £15m 751=
29 26 Phil Collins £115m No change 788=
30= 31 Brian May £105m up £10m 846=
30= 27= George Michael £105m No change 846=
32 – Paul McGuinness £104m New *87=
33= 37= Jimmy Page £100m up £20m 863=
33= 37= Robert Plant £100m up £20m 863=
33= 32= Roger Taylor £100m up £10m 863=
33= 32= Charlie Watts £100m up £10m 863=
37 35 Enya £88m up £1m *104=
38 36 David Gilmour £85m No change 989=
39 42= Martin Mills £84m up £14m –
40 37= Chris Blackwell £80m No change –
41= 40= John Deacon £75m up £1m –
41= – Tracey Ullman £75m New –
43 40= Noel and Liam Gallagher £74m No change –
44= 45= Mark Knopfler £70m up £5m –
44= 51 Nick Mason £70m up £15m –
44= 42= Pete Townshend £70m No change –
44= 42= Chris Wright £70m No change –
48= 49= Gary Barlow £65m up £5m –
48= 45= Judy Craymer £65m No change –
48= 45= Engelbert Humperdinck £65m No change –

 

 

Singer Adele, 26, heads the list of young musicians, aged 30 and under, with a £45m fortune, up 50% (£15m) on last year, with continued success from album sales.

 

She is £15m ahead of the highest new entry to the young musicians list, Calvin Harris. The Scottish hit-maker and superstar DJ has had no less than nine top 10 hits from his current album, 18 months – the most from a single album in chart history. Now able to charge a reported $200,000 for a night’s work as a DJ in Las Vegas or Miami, Harris formerly stacked shelves in Marks & Spencer.

 

The combined wealth of the five members of One Direction is £70m, making 1D the richest boy band in history from Britain and Ireland. Niall Horan, 20, Zayn Malik, 21, Liam Payne, 20, Harry Styles 20, and Louis Tomlinson, 22, are each worth £14m. In 2013, the combined fortune of the band was just £25m, with each member worth £5m.

 

The four members of Mumford and Sons, all new entries to the Young Musicians Rich List, share a £37m fortune. Marcus Mumford, 27, and his actress wife, Carey Mulligan, 28, are jointly worth £13m, while Ted Dwane, 29, Ben Lovett, 27, and Winston Marshall, 26, are each worth £8m.

 

Third in the list of the wealthiest young bands is Sheffield indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, with a combined fortune of £30m. Jamie Cook, 28, Matt Helders 28, and Nick O’Malley, 28, are each worth £7m, while Alex Turner, 28, who has other music interests, is worth £9m.

 

The four members of JLS, JB Gill, 27, Marvin Humes, 29, Aston Merrygold, 26, and Oritse Williams, 27, are each worth £7m, putting their combined wealth at £28m.

 

 

THE 2014 SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST

THE RICHEST YOUNG MUSICIANS – AGED 30 AND UNDER

 

Young Music rank2014 Young Music rank2013 Name 2014  wealth Wealth increase/decrease
1 1 Adele £45m up £15m
2 – Calvin Harris £30m New
3 2 Cheryl Cole £16m up £2m
4= 17= Niall Horan £14m up £9m
4= 17= Zayn Malik £14m up £9m
4= 17= Liam Payne £14m up £9m
4= 17= Harry Styles £14m up £9m
4= 17= Louis Tomlinson £14m up £9m
9= 3= Leona Lewis £13m up £1m
9= – Marcus Mumford and Carey Mulligan £13m New
11 3= Katie Melua £12m No change
12= 6= Jessie J £10m up £2m
12= 5 Florence Welch £10m up £1m
14 – Alex Turner £9m New
15= 6= Charlotte Church £8m No change
15= – Ted Dwane £8m New
15= – Jamal Edwards £8m New
15= – Ben Lovett £8m New
15= – Winston Marshall £8m New
15= – Olly Murs £8m New
15= – Dizzee Rascal £8m New
15= 17= Emeli Sande £8m up £3m
23= – Jamie Cook £7m New
23= 8= Jonathan (JB) Gill £7m up £1m
23= – Ellie Goulding £7m New
23= – Matt Helders £7m New
23= 8= Marvin Humes £7m up £1m
23= 8= Aston Merrygold £7m up £1m
23= – Nick O’Malley £7m New
23= 17= Ed Sheeran £7m up £2m
23= 8= Oritsé Williams £7m up £1m
32= 8= Lily Allen £6m No change
32= 8= Nadine Coyle £6m No change
32= 8= Duffy £6m No change
32= 8= James Morrison £6m No change
32= – Paolo Nutini £6m New
32= 8= Nicola Roberts £6m No change

                                                                                                                

 

The 26th annual Sunday Times Rich List – the definitive guide to wealth in Britain and Ireland – is published on May 18 in a special 116-page issue of The Sunday Times Magazine, which profiles the 1,000 richest individuals and families in the UK and the wealthiest 250 in Ireland. The list is based on identifiable wealth, including land, property, other assets such as art and racehorses, or significant shares in publicly quoted companies. It excludes bank accounts, to which the paper has no access.

 

The Sunday Times Rich List 2014 is compiled by Philip Beresford, the leading authority on British wealth, and edited by Ian Coxon.

Credit to The Sunday Times.

 

 

Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction Events At Southbank Centre

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London’s Southbank Centre will host a series of events in June celebrating the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2014.

The first event, an evening dedicated to aspiring writers, will take place on Monday 2nd June. The Baileys Women’s Prize and Grazia Writers’ Evening will be hosted in Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room and will provide budding authors with some of the best advice in the publishing business.

Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2014.

Kate Mosse, Baileys Women’s Prize co-founder and international No 1 bestselling novelist, will chair a distinguished panel who will be sharing their writing tips, giving advice on achieving publishing success and taking questions from the audience.

 

Kate will be joined by Sarah Waters, award-winning author of Tipping the Velvet, Affinity, and The Night Watch, as well as literary agent Felicity Blunt of Curtis Brown; Baileys Prize shortlisted and 2014 longlisted novelist and Picador editor Charlotte Mendelson; and debut novelist Emma Healey.

 

The following evening, Tuesday 3rd June, will see the return of the popular Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2014 shortlist readings.

 

The event, hosted in Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall from 6.30pm, will see this year’s shortlisted authors reading and discussing their work with Helen Fraser, chair of the 2014 Baileys Prize judges.

 

The 2014 shortlist is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for Americanah, Hannah Kent for Burial Rites, Jhumpa Lahiri for The Lowland, Audrey Magee for The Undertaking, Eimear McBride for A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing and Donna Tartt for The Goldfinch.

 

Now in its nineteenth year, the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2014 was set up to celebrate excellence, originality and accessibility in writing by women throughout the world. It is the UK’s most prestigious annual book award for fiction written by a woman and also provides a range of educational, literacy and research initiatives to support reading and writing.

 

For more information on the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2014 events at London’s Southbank Centre, head to www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk. For ticket information and purchase, visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk

 

Little Accidents Film Review | Sundance 2014

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Recent news stories of industrial mining accidents across the world linger in the background of this stark, character based drama from debut feature director Sara Colangelo. Expanded from her short film of the same name and assisted via the Sundance Institute’s Writers Lab, the story focuses on a rural Appalachian community devastated by a disaster at the local coal mine which has claimed ten lives. Already people are looking for someone to blame from a legal angle and pressure steadily mounts on the sole survivor of the disaster; Amos Jenkins (Boyd Holbrook) whose testimony could seal some hefty compensation. Meanwhile, one of the kids (Jacob Loflland) of the dead miners struggles with his own grief and sets off a chain of consequences that envelope Bill and Diana Doyle (Josh Lucas and Elizabeth Banks). The former is one of the managers of the coal mine and is a figure of rising blame and anger amongst the locals…

littleaccidentssundance2014

Steeped in an authentic style and filmed entirely on location with no sets, Little Accidents doesn’t have to work hard to convince in its portrayal of an America that’s seldom seen along with those inhabiting it. It’s a place which would probably spring up on Google if you typed ‘small town America’; everyone knows each other and each others business whatever their background and class. The town is presented as its own internal universe. It’s a simmering cauldron of mistrust and quiet rage that boils over in the wake of tragedy and boy does it ever boil over. The films earthy and natural tone perfectly encapsulate this, as well as the authentic environment that includes what appear to be genuine residents appearing as themselves. It’s also bolstered by some really superb performances, most notably from Boyd Holbrook as the haunted Amos. Hindered via a limp and with a thousand yard piercing stare, Amos could prove too sheltered and quiet to engage with the audience, but Holbrook makes it connect finding the perfect manners for a deeply wounded yet profoundly decent everyman.

Where the film does seem a little less sure footed is in later developments. Characters meet and interact in ways that at first seems natural, but as events unfold grow increasingly cliched or even unbelieveable. A subplot which see’s Amos and Diana embark on an affair seems almost redundant; a cheap device to bring their characters and desires closer together and intertwine. Josh Lucas does the best he can (actually the best he’s ever been) as the put upon yet unshakable husband, but even his character’s arc seems very deliberately placed and dropped off without much thought. Performance wise the film is nearly stolen by Jacob Lofland (of Mud fame) who perfectly captures the innocence, anger and uncertainty of youth here compounded by tragic events. A lingering close up of his weary face late in the story provides the film with one its most striking images. It’s he and his fellow actors who hold Little Accidents steady even as it hits occasional rocky ground.

2014 Trends: Doughnuts

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Big trends for 2014 are set to be pastels, wide leg trousers and cool bomber jackets; but when it comes to food, why are Dum Dum Doughnuts on the rise?

doughnuts

1 – Locally Sourced EVERYTHING

Why ship in ingredients from far-off shores when you support local producers? This is Paul Hurley’s thoughts; the brains behind the Dum Dum brand. Dum Dum Doughnuts is an independent BRITISH company that offers freshly baked doughnuts every day, all of which use natural, locally sourced ingredients.

Dum Dum Doughnuts

2 – Health and Wellbeing

Because Dum Dum Doughnuts are BAKED, NOT FRIED, they offer lower fat, fewer calories and are all round more delicious. Compared to a standard American Branded Glazed Raspberry doughnut, Dum Dum’s Raspberry Preserve

Jam Dum Dum are considerably lower in fat – our enemy of 2014.

US Doughnut  Dum Dum

Fat 14g             6g

Sat Fat  8g        2g

Calories 207     200

Dum Dum Doughnuts1

3 – Gluten Free

Gluten-free cuisine has been identified as a top trend for 2014. Supermarkets and retailers are expanding their range

available. Dum Dum Doughnuts take great care of their customer’s and have listened to their needs and wants. They

have now introduce gluten free members to their mouth-watering range.

 

4 – Handcrafted and Artisanal Design

As a nation, our love for instant gratification and unique experiences has fuelled Dum Dum’s success. Paul and his

team of artisan chefs bake the doughnuts fresh every day, providing unique and delicious treats. They are also

constantly creating new flavours and designs that keep the fans coming.

 

Following their unprecedented success at Westfield Stratford Shopping Centre during the latter part of 2013,

creator, patisserie owner and artisan chef, Paul Hurley launched Dum Dum Donutterie at Box Park on the 25th

February 2014 – who knows where 2014 will take him and his team.

 

Oscars 2014 Round Up

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The Oscars year after year always draw a lot of worldwide viewers and become a topic of discussion on many levels. Sometimes the focus of the movies seems less important than the storylines of the event itself and when you watch some of the opening ceremonies of the event, the media seem way more focused on what the stars are wearing and who designed it. What seems even more mind blowing is the value of some of the dresses and jewelry worn by some of the finest ladies on the planet are just insane with social media still buzzing over Charlize Theron’s $15M diamond necklace. She was not the only one dressed in bling and everyone got scrutinized for what they wore with social media being lit up on how the stars looked rather than what movies got what accolades. Of course Ellen DeGeneres was the host of the show and did a great job and made the show entertaining to watch.

Let’s start with who looked not so flattering and that the person who stole the show in that category was unfortunately Liza Minnelli. First DeGeneres joked earlier that the Liza Minnelli lookalike was a little too masculine hinting at being a drag queen. That didn’t seem to sit well with her but her dress was just mind-blowing on how poor of a choice it was in many ways. It looked ok to begin with, it was all blue and was more of a pant leg than anything dressy so maybe that is why Ellen did the drag queen jab but if you look at some of the pics of Liza on the red carpet it is hard not to notice her, ummm, lack of bra? That’s right, her puppies were fully visible through her blue top. So Liza took the award for possibly worst dressed and although she is a sweet looking lady, it just wasn’t her night unless her dress was part of a campaign to be talked about.

Best Dressed Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o stole the show for looking the best on all levels. She seemed to have an elegant but minimalistic look that made her look like an absolute princess. She wore a pale blue Prada dress that painted a nice backdrop to her beautiful dark skin, bright white smile while sporting and an elegant gold and diamond headband designed by Fred Leighton. She of course won an Oscar which was only fitting.

Charlize Theron $15M look

Charlize made a statement to make sure people would talk about her during and after the Oscars and it worked. She had a stunning black Dior dress and the talking piece of her look was the $15 million worth of diamonds on her neck which was set by Harry Winston. That is a lot of money invested into a compact piece of jewelry and you wouldn’t want that sitting around in case it gets lost or disappears. I’m sure the ladies would love to keep all their jewelry at the end of the night but that is quite a bit to hang on to and is probably worth selling and I’m sure a company like wpdiamonds will be busy buying up some unused diamonds as money is better left in the bank getting interest and kept safe.

Angelina Jolie brings 42 karat diamond bling

Angelina Jolie always looks great and on the Oscars 2014 she made sure she would be talked about and upon hitting the stage received a standing ovation as she has won the respect of many around the world for her double mastectomy and raising awareness to women around the world to get checkups and tests for breast cancer. That aside she had some serious earrings, 42 karat diamonds designed by Robert Procop. Her dress was simplistic but also pure elegance and definitely one of the best looking ladies of the night.

Ellen Oscar Selfie

Ellen breaks Twitter


Of course the most popular selfie pic in the world broke Twitter and was taken by Bradley Cooper. Ironically enough, Liza Minnelli was trying to fit into the pic but as the people were crowding the space, she was just left at the bad and was not included in the most retweeted pic in internet and Twitter history. That pic is probably the best way to summarize the entire evening. The pic fortunately will be what people can and will remember the Oscars for, as much as we love what the ladies looked like and what they were wearing, this pic is what it is all about and what people should be talking about.