Londoner's Diary: Zadie Smith says pram in a hall doesn’t hinder a writer

Speaking out: Zadie Smith
Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine 2
8 September 2016

Mum’s the word. Or is it? “Childless” is the adjective du jour when describing some women in politics of late. Earlier this week Bridget Jones’s Baby actress Sarah Solemani used the film’s UK premiere in Leicester Square to call for better conditions for working mothers. It seems that when it comes to motherhood one is damned if one does and damned if one doesn’t. And now author Zadie Smith is speaking out.

Interviewed in the new issue of The Gentlewoman, the author of White Teeth and the forthcoming Swing Time considers the rise of a new literary tribe: female novelists with children. “I refuse to be bullied by the idea that you have to have mental peace to write,” she says. “I have no mental peace but I have written despite that. It’s been from about the mid-Seventies that we’ve had this phenomenon of women with children writing. There’s 2,000 years of that not being true, like literally never true. You can find four exceptions, maybe, including AS Byatt. Really, it’s a revolution.”

Literary critic Cyril Connolly once wrote that “there is no more sombre enemy of good art than the pram in the hall”. But it never seemed to hold back the men, Smith points out. “The one thing I feel is really depressing is this idea that writing needs only this absolute concentration, months alone.

“That’s what men were telling their wives while they sat up there... Dickens had 10 children. He wasn’t thinking about them. Nor was Tolstoy, for sure. They were writing all day long. Women are thinking about them. The writing is different. I don’t think it’s worse; it’s different.”

***

Model David Gandy might be dating barrister Stephanie Mendoros of Staple Inn Chambers but don’t call them the new Clooneys. “She’s someone very special,” he told us over Patron cocktails at the GQ Men of the Year Awards. “She doesn’t want be any part of this world, and that’s why we keep it very separate. That’s the way I like it and the way she likes it.” A shame: George’s involvement with Doughty Street’s Amal did wonders for his intellectual reputation.

Jilly never could resist a bit of horseplay

To the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge last night for the launch of Jilly Cooper’s new book, Mount. “On the cover it says ‘Rupert Campbell-Black is back’,” Cooper said. “Well, he’s not just back, he’s here. The three glamorous, charismatic men who inspired Campbell Black — though more silver fox than they were — are here: Andrew Parker Bowles, Micky Suffolk and Rupert Lycett Green. I want to say, they are all impeccably behaved, I made up all the bad behaviour.”

There was even a horse in the garden, in keeping with the book’s equestrian theme. “I do think the message on the cover is a bit arbitrary,” Cooper laughed. “Because it ordered you all to ‘Mount: Jilly Cooper’ and I’m afraid I’m much too old to accommodate you all. And so instead of mounting me I want you all to form an orderly line and shake my hand.”

Exploring the science of social networking

A thrilling trip to the Science Museum last night, transformed for the evening into the perfect party venue for the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 list announcement. The hum of the guests’ conversation was accompanied by the roar of the locomotives in the atrium.

There was enough Laurent-Perrier to intoxicate an army, mathematicians mixed with musicians, doctors with models, restaurateurs with politicos, and authors with gardeners. Universities and science minister Jo Johnson and the Bishop of London Richard Chartres both took time out from their respective ministries to join the throng.

So enlightening was the conversation that The Londoner almost forgot to take advantage of the offer of a glimpse of the new mathematics space The Winton Gallery, designed by the late Zaha Hadid and still under construction. Bathed in pulsating lights and energetic music for the night’s sneak peek, it could be the next Fabric.

A Night At The Museum

Peter Phillips, nephew of Prince Charles, watched his uncle’s speech from the audience and was chuffed to see him win the Londoner of the Decade award. “It’s about time he got recognised for all his hard work,” he beamed.

Nigel Farage was there after a visit to the US, where he met Donald Trump. “I didn’t endorse him — I was just the entertainment!” he said. He was clean-shaven again after his brief flirtation with a moustache but promised it would be back.

Cherie Blair seemed to talk with every guest. But we couldn’t find her after the speeches. “Cherie’s gone,” another guest told us. “She said she had to leave because she had to watch the Great British Bake Off.”

Tough times for Labour deputy leader Tom Watson. “I find it hard to buy socks,” he confided. “It’s my leg shape.”

Silver linings for the children of Sadiq and Saadiya Khan, who are enjoying the perks of their father’s fame. “My children love it,” said Saadiya. “They’re teenagers and they love that we aren’t home in the evenings.”

Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat is backing Prince Charles as next Labour leader. “Old Tories would vote for him and he’s as frugal as Jeremy Corbyn,” he said. “He came on the set of Doctor Who and the pocket on his jacket came off and he sewed it back on himself.”

Chris Grayling is thrilled to fulfil a dream by being Transport Secretary. “I’m a bit of an anorak.” On the way to the party in the taxi, he asked why he was going. His aide assured him there would be trains.

Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut in space, and Astronomer Royal Martin Rees debated whether it is more wondrous to look up at the stars or down at the Earth.

Joel Morris and Jason Hazeley, authors of the adult Ladybird books The Hipster and The Husband, inspired by the boffins, told us their next book will either be The Geek or The Nerd.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in