Linenism

I met Jim Greenhalf yesterday, he's a journalist from the Telegraph and Argus in Bradford and one of the good guys. He likes reading, hates pretension and has won lots of awards for his writing. He likes the idea of The Northern Book Award. We had a good conversation about books and how importnat the 'voice' of the author is rather than just their style. Of late publishers keep going on about style or the tricks they are getting their writers to perform to sell books. Literary critics and academics too have fallen into this club of introspection and despair. If you're not part of the club you're out. I am starting my own ism today, so you heard it here first. It may take some time before it reaches academe but here goes. Linenism. It is the pursuit of a literary style without any talent bar the ownership of a linen suit. Offenders can often be seen wandering round literary festivals armed with a Gaurdian, a glass of something red and wearing wacky wellies, because, well, they're wacky.