Here at the ukcameraman institute of TV news studies, we know that when someone spends nearly £1000.000 on a few scribbled notebooks, it's going to make the news. And when those notebooks are the scribblings, writings and doodles of Samuel Beckett, including his first novel 'Murphy' then the story takes a different turn.
Bought by the University of Reading the manuscripts will give a great insight into the workings of one of the greatest writers of modern times, who wrote plays, novels, film, TV and radio scripts. So it was with pleasure that I got to go along and peruse at my leisure some of the many original manuscripts in the Beckett collection.
I guess it's another one of the rare times that as a TV news cameraman I get to do something that very few others will get to do. To look, to read and to handle the original article. I did this once many years ago with the original manuscript of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, but have no photographic proof that I did, which I regret to this day. (It was before i had discovered blogs and social media.)
Covering the day to day news is covering history as it unfolds for good or bad, big or small, but to actually feel and touch these small parts of literary history is a pleasure that few will relish. Now, if you will excuse me, I have another assignment and must wait for someone to film an interview. I hope his name is not Godot... or it may be a long wait.
Paul Martin is @ukcameraman on Twitter.
www.media-attention.co.uk
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| The original ukcameraman with Dr. Mark Nixon and Beckett original manuscripts. |
Bought by the University of Reading the manuscripts will give a great insight into the workings of one of the greatest writers of modern times, who wrote plays, novels, film, TV and radio scripts. So it was with pleasure that I got to go along and peruse at my leisure some of the many original manuscripts in the Beckett collection.
I guess it's another one of the rare times that as a TV news cameraman I get to do something that very few others will get to do. To look, to read and to handle the original article. I did this once many years ago with the original manuscript of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, but have no photographic proof that I did, which I regret to this day. (It was before i had discovered blogs and social media.)
Covering the day to day news is covering history as it unfolds for good or bad, big or small, but to actually feel and touch these small parts of literary history is a pleasure that few will relish. Now, if you will excuse me, I have another assignment and must wait for someone to film an interview. I hope his name is not Godot... or it may be a long wait.
Paul Martin is @ukcameraman on Twitter.
www.media-attention.co.uk
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