Introduction

Carole Hayman was born in Kent, which has featured in her trilogy of novels, "The Warfleet Chronicles". After graduating from Leeds University and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, her early work was with The Bristol Old Vic, The Royal Court and Traverse Theatres, from which she went on to become a founder member and first woman director of the Joint Stock Theatre Company. She was an Associate Director of The Royal Court Theatre, for which she directed many World Premieres.Carole writes novels and also for radio, television and film. On radio, she is well known as co-writer of the Radio 4 hit series "Ladies of Letters" with Prunella Scales and Patricia Routledge, which has run for seven series to date and is currently being developed for television. Series seven "Ladies of Letters Go Global" aired on Radio 4 in Jan 2006 . BBC Worldwide publish the Ladies audio-books very successfully. Carole has published and broadcast many short stories and pieces of cultural journalism, including features for the Independent, the Guardian, the Express, The Sunday Times, The Mail and a regular column for The Saturday Independent, "My Lofty Life". Her first film as Producer/Writer" f2point8" was short listed for a BAFTA, and has shown at festivals round the world. Carole's most recent novel is the political satire, Hard Choices. Published by Aurora Metro in 2003 & in paperback in 2004. Hard Choices was published in July 2003 by Aurora Metro Press

Provenance

I was born in rural Kent - but within the sound of Bow Bells, which has influenced my attitudes to everything. I'm a city girl who loves the country particularly the seaside of the Isle of Thanet. I've often written about it -­ though sometimes in disguise! I'll end up living in Deal (The town in my Warfleet trilogy) for sure.

Professional Experience

Working backwards) 2004/2005 Lofty Life Ladies of Letters Go Global Missing for TV Brighton short stories for Radio 4 2003/4/5 Novel Hard Choices Short film "f2point8" UKFC . short-listed for BAFTA award. 2002: Ladies of Letters Make Mincemeat published by BBC Worldwide. Anthology of all Ladies Of Letters Audio-books published. New novel Connections. The last book of The Warfleet Chronicles. Ladies of Letters Log On, published as a book and Audiobook Ladies of Letters.Com published as an audio-book by BBC Worldwide. Ladies of letters.Com published in book form by Little, Brown. Extract in Sunday Express. Ladies of letters log on. No 4 of hit series "Ladies of Letters" for BBC radio 4. Travel journalism and several features for European Business woman. Short story contributions for magazines, newspapers and book anthologies. 2000 . The Last Dance, short story published in the Sunday Express. Regular columns for Woman's Hour. Ladies of Letters.com - third series for BBC radio 4. Ladies of Letters and More ladies of Letters books published by Granada Media and as audio-books by BBC Worldwide. 1998/9 Missing, a novel, published by Vista @ Gollancz. Also the sequel, Greed, Crime, Sudden Death. 1997 Comic novel, Ladies of Letters, serialised on Woman's Hour. 1997/8/9 Regular column: My Lofty Life in the Saturday Independent. Hard Choices for BBC 1 television. 1996. Novel, Missing, At last a new genre, Aga-eroticism first published by HarperCollins. A short story, The Page

Career Apex

Being told by Fay Weldon to stop messing about and come out as a writer. I nervously asked her how long it should take to write my first novel - and she said "hum. 3 weeks?" (it actually took a year)

I Like

any excuse to travel. I usually call it research. Food, drink (see travel), gardening and re-decoration -­ my displacement activities. Cooking -­ best of all, special occasion feasts. Public speaking -­ if it's about something that engages my passions. I run a regular literary salon called The Toast where we try to tackle the big issues. Clothes but not obsessively -­ barely enough time to find something clean to wear, let alone follow Vogue.

Film Taste

anything foreign...

Music Taste

FIP radio. It's a wonderful, no words,eclectic, French music station which somehow gets bounced to Brighton. Fab! Beats changing the MP3s

Book Taste

anything foreign...