Up Close With: Barrie Tankel
Meet the wonderful writers and patrons behind LWS.
Godfather of LWS holiday podcasts, Barrie Tankel has been a familiar face in the Salon since the very early days. You’ve probably seen him supporting his peers everywhere from open mic to the Artists Way sessions and the Gold Circle. But who is the one they call Silky Barrie? Let’s find out.
Barrie Tankel (aka “Silky Barrie”)
- Based in Belsize Park, London
- Would he like to divulge his age? “Yes.”
- Writes “excellent technical reports; nowadays attempting a complex family history”
What are you working on right now?
The Untold — it’s the history of my family, and particularly of my mother’s first cousin Chaim, who lived in Poland through the Holocaust years. My version of Chaim’s story is based upon his own personal journal. He was captured by the Nazis, then escaped and was recaptured. He had a very traumatic personal journey.
I also look at my mother’s brother Wally, an RAF pilot killed in 1943. His story is based upon correspondence and two diaries he’d written during 1941 and 1943 but were only discovered in 2019.
Other of my stories tell of the lives of illegitimate children fathered by my grandfather and father which add some humour to the book. These were obviously untold for years!
Where and when do you write?
My day usually starts at Writers Hour, with the 8am UK session. I attend other sessions but only those that don’t clash with my Bridge tournaments. I’m fortunate to work in my study where I can isolate myself to write. At weekends I join the 8.30am sessions and KK’s life-changing 10am journeys.
How do you write?
My handwritten morning pages only started after I joined KK’s The Artists Way group. All other written work is produced on my computer. Scrivener was used to write The Untold. I transferred to MS Word when editing with the help of others. I print pages when I struggle to edit on the screen and alter them in red ink. Support from others has helped me a great deal during the editing process and now I’m finally near completion.
Why do you write?
Why? Interesting question. So many reasons. The prime reason is to collate this amazing collection of family stories for my family, particularly as so much is based on their personal scribbles, so if I don’t do this their stories will remain untold, lost for our future generations. What a sad waste that would be.
Secondly, because it’s something I always wanted to do but struggled because my writing skills are poor. My competitive nature drives me forward to succeed — but, boy, it’s been a struggle.
Thirdly, I am also driven to write a piece of fiction. I know I have great imagination, but can I articulate it onto the page? Who knows! But I will certainly try.
What inspires your creativity?
My imagination. I just heard this great quote on Desert Island Discs: “A moment’s imagination is worth a lifetime of experience.” It came from the scriptwriter Russell T Davies, who was showrunner for Doctor Who for many years.
What’s your favourite book?
To be honest, it’s Drive A Fire Engine, a bestseller written by my daughter when working for DK Books.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
Try and try again until you are satisfied with your creation. Don’t write to please others or your own creativity will dissipate.
What’s the one thing you would tell other or aspiring writers?
Don’t underestimate how long it will take to write your work. It’s a long, hard journey. If you don’t believe me then ask Shakespeare and Dickens.
How can we discover more about you and your work?
I’m publishing parts of The Untold on my Medium page.
