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Jonathan Coe

@jonathancoe.bsky.social

2865 followers 412 following 193 posts

Writer. Latest novel is BOURNVILLE.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Exactly one year ago today, I went on stage with the Artchipel Orchestra in Brescia to take part in a concert of my own music. A fantastic occasion for me. This was our encore - a tune I wrote way back in 1987, here brilliantly arranged for orchestra by Ferdinando Farao.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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I once had to apply at very short notice for a visa that would allow me to transit through Russia and thought that was the most stressful and Kafkaesque bureaucratic experience I’d ever have, but I just had to pay for 20 minutes’ parking with RingGo and that was worse.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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A red letter day. After months and months of having my reading dictated by work, have finally gone into a bookshop, spent some cash, and am looking forward to getting stuck into these two beauties for PLEASURE.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Got a new novel coming in November, in which:

A murder takes place at a right-wing populist conference ...

The murder victim leaves behind a cryptic message ...

A trail of clues leads from Cambridge to Monte Carlo to Venice ...

Preorder now!

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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So, farewell then, Fulham Road Picturehouse, which closes its doors on July 11. It survived as a cinema from 1930-2024 which I suppose is a good run. Don't know what it will become but if, like so many Tory MPs, I was a betting man, my money would be on 'luxury apartments.'

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Great to see the late-career resurgence of Jeremy Cooper. I remember loving his first novel, Ruth, when it came out in 1986. He's been around even longer than me!

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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If you've recently followed me on Facebook, or had a friend request from me on Facebook, please be aware that it's a fake account. I'm not on Facebook.

1 replies 4 reposts 11 likes

Reposted by Jonathan Coe

Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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New release of David Gilmour and his daughter Romany covering the song 'Between Two Points', originally written and performed by The Montgolfier Brothers (@marktranmer.bsky.social and Roger Quigley).

A beautiful way to start the week. Do check out the original, too - very different vocals!

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Proud to have written a short piece for this protest zine*, part of the fight against the brutal proposal to close more than 20 of Birmingham's public libraries. * I have never used this phrase before. Note the ease with which I dropped it into the sentence.

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Reposted by Jonathan Coe

Nick McLoughlin 's avatar Nick McLoughlin @nickmacwrites.bsky.social
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@jonathancoe.bsky.social wrote this 30 years ago!! And I’ve been kidding myself that my novel might at least have sold more than a handful of copies if only I’d written it sooner! I don’t know if I should feel more depressed or less.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Well-deserved rave for an amazing book.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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If you like books which unravel the mystery around forgotten writers (think The Quest for Corvo or, dare I say it, my own Like a Fiery Elephant) I would highly recommend Traces of Enayat by Iman Mersal. A really moving and immersive read.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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In Our Time is great, but also quite stressful, like an intellectual Just a Minute. It moves at such a clip Melvyn might as well tell the participants 'You have one minute to talk about the early life of Henry Fielding without deviation, hesitation or repetition, starting NOW.'

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Thank you. It's a long time since I re-read or thought about this book.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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From Alasdair Gray's '1982, Janine'.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Need something to put a spring in your step this morning? The new Michael Torke album is pure joy.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Me at the barber’s: No I don’t want an OAP discount, thank you very much. Just how old do you think I am? Me on the tube: Why are none of these people offering me a seat? Can’t they see I’m really old?

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Europa will be publishing in the US but I’m not sure when. Some time in 2025 I imagine.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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My new one is available for preorder now and it’s 'blisteringly funny' according to the publisher’s blurb. A free Band Aid with every copy?

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Very much looking forward to hosting this launch event in Nottingham on Thursday.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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A few people said that I shouldn’t have written Mr Wilder & Me in the voice of a woman and that it was cultural appropriation. Well, the novel I’ve just read has a chapter narrated by some chanterelle mushrooms. Double standards everywhere.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Love this album so much. Bought it in 1979 I think, along with Matchbook, another Burton duet masterpiece.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Posted on Twitter today for the first time in a while and it's been a bittersweet experience. Delighted to have so many new fans on there who are young women in their 20s, but shocked to find the cost of living crisis is now so bad that many of them can't afford to clothe themselves properly.

10 replies 31 reposts 280 likes

Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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I may take a small sherry before dinner.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Among the translated titles are The Deadly Testament (Dutch), Testament English Style (French), The Winshaw Family (Italian), What a Distribution (Spain), What a Nice Plate (Greek) and Alone with Shirley (Germany). It didn't take off in Germany ...

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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I tell a lie, it was published 145 years ago. I'm older than I thought.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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I don't think anyone else will have noticed, so I'm going to wish myself a happy 30th anniversary. What a Carve Up!, published by Viking Books on 28 April, 1994.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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I agree - should really be listened to with eyes closed in order to focus attention on the musicianship and melodic invention.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Thanks for posting. Love that part of the world and hope to return there soon.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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I also love how the cover quote on Suzanne Simard’s book is provided by a writer called Isabella Tree.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Do you know the amazing children's book Brendon Chase, by 'BB', about some boys who run away from home and live off-grid in the forest? That has a chapter called 'The Trees' which is about how they emote and communicate. Published in 1944!

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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This has been out for a few weeks now and I highly recommend it.

A great novel that was out of print for almost sixty years, rediscovered by the excellent @neglectedbooks.bsky.social

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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I've been listening all week to rough mixes of an album you've been closely involved in, and wow is it good.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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I often re-read Lehmann’s novels but haven’t read these stories for more than 30 years. Thanks for the reminder!

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Really love the Hobbs pieces on this. The John Adams is a curious early work, good in parts. The Bryars … not a success. Bought a white label copy of this at a market stall in Harrogate for 50p in 1978.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Yes I liked that piece. Peter chose the correct #1, obviously. I caught about half of Woman Times Seven (Woman Times Three-and-a-half?) on Talking Pictures recently and it did seem pretty good.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Yes. I just find it funny to see which adjectives they use sometimes. I know the subtitlers are doing a difficult job. Exceptionally good series, I thought.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Ha! Would love to see what adjective they'd use for Anthony Braxton in that case.

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Jonathan Coe's avatar Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social
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Wow, I am old enough to remember when this was first broadcast. People were deliberately teased with the idea that it might be legitimate, in fact - it was heavily trailed in the UK press with 'Is it real or is it a hoax?' articles.

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