Why write a biography? It only pins you down. Suffice to say I was born in Africa. And already that’s seeing the world without its skin. My father was the local gynaecologist. My mother was born in Strasbourg. My grandmother lived with us. In many ways I loved my childhood but not in others. I would have been cheating myself if I hadn’t left to study English literature in Britain. Before that I was lucky enough to live in Paris on the threshold of womanhood, in the spring, on my own, and of course that stays with you forever. We ate well and cheaply and I learnt to love wine and got engaged. At Edinburgh I got a First class MA Honours and the Janet Christie Bequest to study abroad. So we drove to Florence and lived in an old farmhouse for 8 months, learning Italian, studying at the British Institute.
In the slipstream of your life you imagine you’ll be a great writer, another Virginia Woolf, have the perfect family, be the best mother. So many impossible aims. I ended up being a journalist. A mother to one daughter. A lover. As a journalist I did quite a lot of good in the beginning. Campaigning stories, saving a horribly mistreated lioness in Italy, seals in the Hebrides, premature babies at Dulwich hospital in need of incubators, endangered leatherback turtles in Tobago. I have done a lot of travel articles, restaurant and hotel reviews, and many years of exciting seat-of-the pants Showbiz stories, travelling with Freddie Mercury, Rod Steward, Spandau Ballet, interviewing Angelina Jolie, Leonardo di Caprio, Bono, Jude Law. Now I’m writing a novel set in Venice and its working title is Behind the Mirror. With a novel, which takes years to write, you’re not the same person at the end of the book as you were at the beginning. The story has changed, the characters are deeper, but you have changed with them. You fall in love with all of them. I’m nearly ready to say goodbye to them and let them stand on their own.
https://www.sharonfeinstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/walliams.pdf Heartbroken David Walliams is trying to win back his model wife by sending her funny letters. A source close to the Little Britain star revealed he has written her playful notes every day since they split. David, 43, is said to be hoping his jokey anecdotes will bring Dutch beauty Lara Stone laughing back … Continued
Striding into his Beverly Hills gym at 4.30am, trainer Gunnar Peterson is faced with a perfect reminder of why he gets up in the dark each day – a giant naked photo of Kim Kardashian. Oiled and toned, the framed snap shows Kim at her pneumatic best and is accompanied by a handwritten note of … Continued
David Beckham’s son Romeo has been hailed as a tennis star of the future. The 12-year-old youngster wowed coach John Johnson after going for lessons at a council court. And John said last night: “I’m not sure his parents realise just how good he is.” He said he planned to tell Becks, 39, and wife … Continued
Residents in flats overlooking the site of a car chase scene for the new James Bond film are charging fans around £750 per day to catch the action. Filming on Sceptre, with Daniel Craig as 007, is set to bring Rome to a standstill. But by selling tickets to use their homes for the fourday … Continued
Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan knows the real meaning of pain, his dad has revealed. The actor, making women swoon with his role as sexual sadist Christian Grey, is haunted by the childhood loss of his mum – and his four best friends. And he has been a huge emotional support to his … Continued
The boyish look is familiar. The cheeky grin too. And there’s no mistaking where George Lineker’s charm comes from as he tackles a tricky question with all the composure his old man once showed in front of goal. What does he think of his dad Gary’s second wife – his 35-year-old stepmum Danielle? “Dan? I … Continued
The pre-wedding diet was clearly not a concern for George Clooney, who tucked into a £3,000 feast on his stag do – nor was the cost as he didn’t pay a penny for it. The Hollywood star, 53, racked up the huge bill at Ristorante da Ivo in Venice, Italy, but boss Giovanni Fracassi gave … Continued
The secrets of George Clooney’s final hours as the world’s most eligible man have been revealed by the restaurateur who gave him his last supper as a bachelor. The Oscar-winning actor ate five courses, including two puddings. He then ate three ice creams and took away three more to enjoy before going to bed on … Continued
