Daisy Chain PR in Sunday's Express "Woman" magazine

Elspeth Duncan
Photo by Kristen Alcantara
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Source of article in online Express Newspaper

In November 2006, multimedia artist Elspeth Duncan joined thousands of writers to take on the online international NaNoWriMo challenge (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) of writing at least 50,000 words in one month. Rather than allowing technical challenges (such as computer breakdown) to halt her progress, Duncan turned on full throttle and wrote over 50,000 words in a total of seven days spread within the month.

’The speed at which I was writing meant that I had no time to stop and think of what to write. It all just came out as is, in an unstoppable flow. Looking back at what was created, I would say that non-thought was to my advantage. I don’t think I would/could have written what I did if I had been putting deliberate thought into it. It would have become what ’I’ wanted it to be as opposed to what it is meant to be,’ Duncan writes on her blog, http://nowiswowtoo.blogspot.com.

The resulting work, a stream-of-consciousness novel entitled Daisy Chain, features 51 women, each one linked to the other in a series of eclectic ’snapshots’ or ’stories’, each in their own style.

Award-winning writer Barbara Jenkins says of the novel: ’If this book has a colour, it is yellow, like the sun, like the hearts of the daisies on the cover, like promises; if it has a mood, it is of longing, searching, of hopeful expectancy. The women here think, listen, wonder, seek, explore, embrace. Go at this smorgasbord at your own pace - savour each titbit as it is presented or gobble them up like I did, only to go back and sample again the ones that stuck and need some careful chewing over.’

Duncan ultimately plans to make Daisy Chain into an art-collectable coffee-table novel, featuring her photography as an illustration for her writing. In the meantime, she is making Daisy Chain available to fans as a text-only e-book, to be launched on Friday May 7th 2010 from 6 - 7.30 p.m. at NALIS, Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain. Extracts taken from the lives of six women in the book will be read by Patti-Anne Ali, Vanessa Duncan, Carolyn Harnanan, Carol Hosein, Jameela Khan and Joanne Ali- Nandalal. The public is invited and admission is free.

In the lead-up to the launch, Duncan is sending out daily links of Daisy Chain to readers who have subscribed via email to her blog. These links, extracts from the novel, glimpses into the lives of some of the fifty-one women, give readers a tantalizing taste of the intriguing whole.

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Below are some of the mail comments from readers of the daily e-mailed Daisy Chain extracts:

I feel like an addict ... every day I hurriedly check my email for Daisy Chain updates. My only complaint is that the excerpts are too short. That's because I'm greedy. I get reading and don't want to stop. Great great great ... I can't wait for it to be launched.

Comment via email from recipient of daily email extracts - Virma B., Ottawa, Canada

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I like all the descriptive passages here which is just about every single line you wrote! You are good at so many things. This is terrific writing ... it really draws me. Thanks for sending.

Comment via email from recipient of daily email extracts - Lynn, California

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You are a talented writer. In just the space of these brief extracts, you create an unsettling ambiance, real characters about whom we are at least curious, and you hook the reader. I can't wait to read the book and see if you sustain these effects consistently. I enjoy your style, particularly the way you parenthetically insert information. It creates an ostensibly relaxed atmosphere in contrast with an underlying tension.

Comment from recipient of daily email extracts: Jeanne Mason, co-editor Trinidad Noir

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I haven't read a novel in many years now as I've been following my urge to explore psycho/spiritual material. So this is the first novel I am experiencing in a long time and with only the first two extracts I'm delighting in the way the words and images play out and that it's from your stream of consciousness. Thanks for sharing!

Comment from recipient of daily email extracts: Vanessa Soodeen, Spain

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If this book has a colour, it is yellow, like the sun, like the hearts of the daisies on the cover, like promises. If it has a mood, it is of longing, searching, of hopeful expectancy. The women here think, listen, wonder, seek, explore, embrace. Go at this smorgasbord at your own pace - savour each titbit as it is presented or gobble them up like I did, only to go back and sample again the ones that struck and need some careful chewing over.

Review from award-winning writer Barbara Jenkins (Trinidad) who has read the whole book

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"Oh Gad!!!!!!"

Comment via email from recipient of daily email extracts - Patrice Charles - after reading the extract from Myrna Christie:

An extract a day (until the launch) of DAISY CHAIN

A stream-of-consciousness novel by Elspeth Duncan
Launch of e-version:
Friday May 7, 2010
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
National Library/NALIS, P.O.S.
You are invited.