I’m thrilled to welcome Marsha Moore to the blog today. She’s written two guide books, one to London and one to Paris, both with a delightful twist – they tell you what the best of the cities are at any point in the day or night. A wonderful and really bloody useful idea, I think you’ll agree. (And if you read all the way to the bottom you’ll notice she has a novel coming out too. Just saying…)
So, here she is with a guest post. Enjoy! I know I did.
Marsha says…
‘Places with Character
Writing over 400 guide-book listings – as I’ve done for both 24 Hours London and 24 Hours Paris – could seem more a chore than something enjoyable. But if you look at each city – each listing – as having its own story, it’s never dull.
24 Hours travel guides are organized by hour, providing the best of what a city has on offer at that moment in time. Taken as a whole, flipping through the book gives you a sense of the rhythm of the city: in London, the morning markets and spots to watch the sun rise; the afternoon teas and museums; and the great clubbing life and theatre. In Paris, it’s the patisseries and cafés; the great boutiques and terraces to people watch; and the artists’ collectives, brasseries and lofts to hang out in at night.
Break it down even further, and everything I’ve included in the book – restaurants, artworks, toilets even – has its own tale to tell. Although I usually only have space for about three to five sentences, I try to make each listing into a vignette to tell the reader not just why they should see it, but what it is that places that item in the context of the city around it.
Over the course of my research, I’ve come across some intriguing (if somewhat obscure!) facts about London and Paris. Like the Woolwich Ferry, for example – a free ferry that’s been operating since the 1300s. Or the fact that that the Brookwood Cemetery – which used to be served by the London Necroplis Railway – once had two separate train stations for the dead depending on their religious persuasion: Conformist and Non-Conformist. From a Cocteau mural in a central London church to a lost river at the bottom of an antiques shop, London’s places are full of stories.
And Paris is no different. Did you know, for example, that writers with no fixed address can pick up their post at Hemmingway’s old hang-out, The Ritz? Or that you can browse your laptop with free wireless access in the Arenes de Lutece, a Roman amphitheatre restored thanks to the support of Victor Hugo? Or, if you really want to get up close and personal with history, you can use the city’s last remaining pissoir in front of La Santé Prison?
Like characters in a novel, each place in a city has something to say, a role to play. If you look at it that way, how could writing about anything be boring?’
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Marsha wrote her first ‘book’ at age 9. Disasters in Florida was a non-fiction account of her family’s trip to Florida, fraught with airplane delays and broken car locks. Remarkably, despite the action-packed narrative, the book remains unpublished. Undeterred, Marsha trained to be a journalist and worked for several years in journalism and PR. Her desire to travel propelled her from her native Canada to Poland and then on to England, where she has lived and worked for the past six years. Her first book, 24 Hours London was released in November 2009. 24 Hours Paris, the second in series, has just been published. Marsha’s first novel, The Hating Game (under pen name Talli Roland) is set to be released next year.
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Whoa, that's a big photo of me there! :)Thanks so much for hosting me, Nik!
Congratulations on 24 Hours paris, Marsha. What fascinating snippets you dicovered about both cities. I'm off to take a look at your novel now.
Sounds like you have written the perfect guide books. Giving what's the best at all hours is unique. You've made it more personalized and not so dry. I dislike those guide books that are so boring. You've added charm and character. Best of luck.MasonThoughts in Progress
They both sound like fascinating guidebooks, and I love the idea of cities as characters! Great guest post 🙂
You included toilets!!! Now that's a proper guidebook!!!!Love the city by the hour!! Brill.Thank you!Take carex
I love Marsha Moore! Although I'm more familiar with her as 'Talli Rolland' – thanks for having her on here Nik!
Talli? Marsha? Talli? Whatever you call yourself, you're one clever chick. I'm never happier than when I'm travelling and Paris is my favourite. Can't wait to track down these precious gems…thanks Nik for hosting Marsha, eer, Talli…)
I can only imagine the enormous amount of research you've done for each book. Now I want to read about your adventures in Florida! 🙂
Thanks again, Nik, for hosting me and for all the lovely comments!
Great interview! And a great blog, Nik, glad I found you.
Hello all! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment. I think I've discovered a few new blogs to read too, which is rather splendid!And thanks to Marsha for coming on – I loved what you said.Nik
Great post Marsha! The historical stuff – like the ferry – were the bits I enjoyed most in 24 Hours London!