Day 1 – Saturday 14th October – Charlie Mackesy and Max Porter.
It felt good to be back in familiar surroundings at Cheltenham Literature Festival this Autumn. After a few year’s break due to other commitments, this year I chose to return to Cheltenham Festival on the last weekend of events, staying overnight to prolong the experience. Cheltenham is my second favourite literature Festival (I’ve been to many – Henley and Oxford are still on my list) Hay Festival will always have my heart – for many reasons, mainly for being the first I ever attended, reading my work, in the early stages of my writing career. I still have the head of the white rose I was given on completing my event, pressed inside an old notebook of memories. It is one of my fondest career moments.
On Saturday 14th October, we took the two hour drive to the regency town arriving just in time for lunch. That afternoon I saw Charlie Mackesy at the Times and Sunday Times venue after becoming obsessed with his story The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse from watching the animated film on BBC One last Christmas. I was at once enraptured by the story telling, the beautiful illustrations and music, as well as the heartfelt message behind it. So on seeing that Mackesy was going to be appearing at Cheltenham Festival, I booked a ticket as soon as they went on sale, anticipating it would be busy. I was not wrong. Sitting in the middle of a row near the front of the crowded venue, I noted an audience of all ages and genders. The boy next to me, perhaps 8 or 9, was sat presumably with his Mother and they each had a copy of the book – One of the original story books and another special limited edition of the illustrated story. The energy and enthusiasm in the room was palpable from the moment the lights dimmed, and grew even more so with the arrival of Mackesy and his dog Barney, who we were to learn, had much to do with the story and it’s development.
Soft spoken and humbled, Mackesy seemed incredibly honoured and surprised by the large audience and even the fact that they had travelled to see him. He spoke of his own journey from Sussex, (4 hours, stopping every 40 minutes or so for Barney – although he would decide to need the toilet as soon as they arrived backstage!) before thanking everyone for coming.
As the interviewer explained, Mackesy began his career as an artist and illustrator originally working as a cartoonist for The Spectator and then as a book illustrator for the Oxford University Press. He would later go on to write the longest running Sunday Times Non-Fiction Number One of all time. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse also holds the record for the most consecutive weeks in the Sunday Times Non-Fiction Chart across all formats, something Mackesy had never imagined.
The origins of the story were quite humble too, as Mackesy would go on to talk about. He detailed how he would draw sketches and add text, sending them in a Whatsapp group of friends and receiving encouragement, later posting them on Instagram – to which he received startling reactions. He had soldiers contacting him from war torn countries and NHS nurses thanking him for giving them something that they could relate to and helped them incredibly. This was the beginning of a book which would go on to be published many years later (in 2019), even then to Mackesy’s astonishment, as he felt he wasn’t even sure there was a story or an audience. Of the 10 000 copies printed in the first run, he thought there would be many going on to the pulping. To his surprise, this was not the case. Putting together the book was quite a challenge, as he noted, there was so much material and around 98% of his drawings weren’t used.
It seemed that Mackesy was exploring his creativity from a young age, as he talked about his mother (who he has recently lost) and her encouragement of his drawing throughout his life. He remembered fondly drawing horses from the age of 5, and scratching out an image on a record, despite sensing that he was doing something terribly wrong. Rather than focus on what Mackesy had done to the record, his Mother simply said that he must finish the drawing. He also talked about feeling rather lonely in school and his mum being there with him one day and how he watched fascinated while she made a duck out of clay. When he became engrossed in his own creative imitation, his Mother had slipped out, leaving him to continue on his own. It’s clear to see how this early nourishment of Mackesy’s talents lead to the work he has created in adult life. His illustrations cover the walls of hospitals and public buildings across the words, and his words have inspired so many to write to him and tell him how they have changed their lives. When asked of the pressure of all of that, Mackesy noted how it had taken it’s toll, but ultimately he is grateful for the connection – after all, when everything else is stripped away, he noted, that’s all any of us really desire. His poignant examples of such letters, included a 10 year old boy who had chosen to talk about his pain, rather than take his own life, and the grandmother who learnt to accept herself after her 5 year old grandson turned and said to her ‘Granny, you know you are enough.’ Sometimes clarity and understanding comes from the most unexpected of places.
The incredible success of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, certainly has been due to that feeling of connection, of letting go, of being lifted up, of facing your fears and speaking your truth. This was why it seemed the perfect next step to create an animated film, complete with Mackesy’s beautiful illustrations and words, put to music and brought to life to enhance the story. Despite initial reservations himself, and from some fans who were nervous of what the characters would sound like and how they would appear on the screen – the nation and beyond really had taken the story into their hearts – the film was eventually made, with the help of a large team, originally on zoom due to the pandemic.
Mackesy praises the help and guidance at each step of the way from a whole host of creatives, including Star Trek and Star Wars producer JJ Abrahams and composer Isobel Waller-Bridge. Some famous names were to voice the characters too, Idris Elba (the fox), Tom Hollander (The Mole), Gabriel Byrne (The Horse). The most important though, was the voice of the boy, which Mackesy insisted should be a soft, gentle scottish voice. Of 100 tested, Jude Coward Nicoll – the first voice they heard – was the final choice. He really added something, Mackesy noted, particularly in the way he said things.
Mackesy laughs when he talks of the audio book, which he is surprised the audience know about, which he created himself with recording equipment from Amazon – he notes was no good for the part – and a den made out of cushions in a barn at his home. ‘Barney came in with me and I just did it.’ It’s clear how much of the process was a learning curve and just how much Barney was involved both as a character in his own right (the mole’s obsession with cake stems from 14 year old Barney’s obsession with food ‘He is not a mindful eater’) and as a support to Mackesy’s creative process. During the interview he remained close to his owner, watching closely and occasionally making a noise in response to Mackesy’s words, always watching the location of his treats. During one funny moment, Barney made over to the other side of the settee, with Mackesy realising mid sentence that he was after the chicken.
After a long time of painstakingly hard work, much over zoom, and a back and forward of whatsapp voice notes (particularly on Mackesy’s part with Isobel) the film would begin to take shape. Mackesy admits that on first seeing the illustration with the music and words running on screen, he lost it. As a writer, I could completely appreciate this. I would imagine, on seeing my own work on the screen, something so intricate a part of me, I would too become overwhelmed with emotion. As Mackesy also mentioned, a journalist once pointed out that the characters were clearly all a part of him, something which quite shocked him. Yet on thinking he came to the conclusion that they were probably right, adding in the conversation with the Cheltenham audience ‘they are parts of all of us.’
Mackesy’s gentle way was rather endearing, explaining quietly that he struggled with confidence, then later asking if the audience had seen the film, and if they liked it. His grin on receiving affirmation was heart warming. When his Oscar for the film was mentioned by the interviewer, he passed it to her in a black cloth bag, insisting she unveil it – before declaring that it belonged to everyone on the journey, from his friends and early collaborators, to the professionals and the very audience sat before him. He emphasised again that what meant something to him was that his work was out there in the world, being shared and received, the sense of connection that had and continued to be felt. Mackesy hinted at another book, perhaps one focusing on loss – maybe due to his recent loss of his mother – and the audience echoed their welcoming of this.
One thing is true, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse is a book for everyone, regardless of age or background or gender. It is one of the true classics that only comes along once in a while but can endure for decades. I, like many, am so glad that it was written.
Later that evening, in complete contrast to the earlier event, I went to see Max Porter (Grief is a Thing with Feathers) at the Parabola Arts Centre. The venue was a short walk from the Festival Site and a beautiful grade 2 listed building, with arts gallery, theatre space and other rooms for various community events. I was a few minutes late getting to the venue and the performance of Shy, Porter’s new book, was in full swing. A curious mix of stage monologue and live music, with just Porter and a young actor on stage, backed by 2 musicians, the piece was powerful and funny – fitting the small space and intimate audience. Shy is set in the 90’s and tells the story of a boy who leaves the last chance home for ‘Troubled Young Men’ to face his troubled past and potential future. Waterstones described it as ‘a breathtaking vignette of a troubled young boy caught between the ghosts of his past and the enormous questions about his future.’
I am a third of the way through Grief is a Thing with Feathers, a very lyrical and poetic book with a curious narrative based around a family loss and a large crow which inhabits their home while they deal with the pain of losing their wife and mother. On seeing that Porter was at the festival, I thought it would be worth seeing him live. He is an interesting writer as well as performer, linking language and linguistics with music and spoken word, to weave deep and meaningful stories in a concise and impactful way. His work covers themes such as mental health, loss, suicide, loneliness, adolescence, bullying, relationships and what it is to be a man growing up in society across the generations. As the interviewer noted, Porter is not afraid to explore difficult themes in his work and this has been met with mixed reactions in the past. A recent Sunday Times review of Shy was mentioned, in which there were no kind words for Porter’s latest literary work, calling him ‘as weird as ever’. In response, he said that he was glad for the feedback and sometimes negative reviews, because they helped to drive him forward. He mentioned that for his books to be seen as just ‘okay’ was worse, because he wasn’t really effecting or connecting with anyone. Porter is known for working within the community, wanting to help those that need it. He talked of his frustrations of arts cuts and to prison funding, enthusing that libraries and literature are a lifeline for so many. ‘It’s always the arts to go first’.
I noticed that a few people left the event early, as Porter was being interviewed, so wondered if his latest work and his thoughts and opinions weren’t for everyone. Yet, to me, Cheltenham Literature Festival and the many events that they offer, is all about listening and learning, perhaps to new perspectives. For me, the jury is out until I finish his first novel. Then I may move on to some of his others. It was an interesting performance and discussion, I could see the passion and the reasoning behind Porter’s latest works. He has a talent for language and for opening up conversations and thoughts about difficult subject matters. It will be interesting to see what he does next. There was talk of a screenplay and some music production, and Porter noted that he finds collaboration the best thing about his work. ‘I wasn’t made to sit in a room on my own writing novels. I was made to be out there, collaborating and working with people producing something.’ He has certainly produced something powerful with Shy.
A J Griffiths 