Sandi Toksvig on comedy, community and secret murder mystery project: ‘I may publish it one day’
In partnership with Audible
By James Hodge
Is there anything Sandi Toksvig can’t do? Presenter, entertainer, performer, human encyclopedia, activist and of course, novelist, Toksvig continues to be a champion of both women and the wider LBGTQ+ community.
Her latest novel, Friends of Dorothy, sees a generational collision between Stevie and Amber, the new residents of Number 4 Grimaldi Square, and Dorothy, their geriatric room mate, who doesn’t want to leave her home, leading to unexpected consequences all parts dramatic, funny and moving.
Below, the national treasure shares the importance of humour, advice on making it in entertainment, and the possibility of releasing a secret lockdown novel.
We also share our picks of our best recent reads, as well as our current favourite audiobook available on Audible.
What book best celebrates the concept of the unconventional family?
Pippie Longstocking. She’s entirely independent – strong enough to lift a horse over her head – but she is most happy when surrounded by her chosen family – a monkey and a horse.
What text has a memorable dedication?
Rita Mae Brown begins Starting From Scratch: ‘If you don’t like my book, write your own one.’
Who is your favourite friend of Dorothy: the scarecrow, the tin man or the lion?
The lion, I think. Isn’t that the one we’d all go for? We could all use a little more courage.
What is a comedy that always makes you laugh?
This is very old school of me: I never fail to laugh at Dickens. Every time I’m on holiday and my wife says to me, “Why don’t you read one of these new books at the airport?”, I always pick a Dickens. I’m very quickly running out of the ones I haven’t read!
Who is a lesbian writer who deserves more recognition?
All of them deserve more recognition. Do you know of an artist called Jean Bible? He commissioned a painting for me which looks like a stamp, featuring the late Queen’s head. In the background are all the names of the great lesbians from history. There are 306. So many of them are unread writers, or women people don’t recognise as lesbian or bisexual. I couldn’t possibly choose just one.
What novel do you think thoughtfully depicts ageing?
Men are represented as becoming more marvellous as they get older. Women are consigned to being eccentric. I’m sure there are great novels where it’s not just another mad Miss Havisham figure, but they are far and few between. We need feisty, fabulous rolemodels like Dorothy from my latest novel: incredible older women who still take a sledgehammer to life.
What tale moves you time and time again?
I love the tale of Princess Katalun, niece of Kubla Khan. Kubla didn’t want her to marry, and Katalun was a phenomenal warrior. Katalun agreed that she would only marry the man who could beat her in a wrestling match – but if a man lost, he had to give her 100 horses. Marco Polo writes that she concluded her life unmarried with 10,000 horses!
What is the first lesbian novel you remember reading?
My very first was The Well of Loneliness by Radcliffe Hall. And I just thought, Oh, my God, is Is that what my life is going to be? Is it going to be a well of loneliness? I think I’ve probably spent the rest of my life trying to write a more positive response to that book.
What are you currently reading?
She Speaks by the actress Harriet Walter. Throughout Shakespeare, there are incredible moments where terrible things are happening to female characters, and the women don’t say anything. They are mute. Walter has written the speeches these wonderful women should have made!
You’ve had the most extraordinary career in the diversity of what you’ve done. What role does writing play in your life?
It’s at the core of everything that I do because I approach everything as if it was a well-constructed story, and I don’t really mind whether it’s documentary, comedy or even QI. I always say, if we’re going to start at this point, where is the arc going, and where are we taking the audience to? Storytelling is at the heart of everything I do.
In many ways, Friends of Dorothy is a celebration of local communities as they live their everyday lives. Why did you choose to celebrate the ordinary?
If you are in a room full of seemingly ordinary people, somewhere in that room is the best story you’ve never heard yet. There are extraordinary stories behind every one of us. But you have to be patient and you have to try to uncover them. I could literally walk down any stretch of any road, anywhere in the country, and find a dozen amazing stories, but you have to pay attention and be curious about others.
Why do you think humour is so important to what you write?
I may write about LGBT+ characters but I wanted to write a book that was for a broader audience. I hope that straight men and women will read it and see it as more than just a ‘gay’ novel. The experiences are universal, and humour is the easiest way to take a reader with you. If the reader can laugh with you, they are more likely to understand you.
The eponymous Dorothy is a shining light in the novel. Who inspired her?
Well, in my mind, she’s based on my very dear friend, actress Sheila Hancock. We’ve been dear friends since I was 18. But as with all writing, it’s a collage. It’s a mix of lots of the many brilliant women I have met in my life.Dorothy is the type of woman that runs society at the local level – the stalwarts in our communities. I live in a village in Hampshire, and it’s run entirely by the older women. But I think most of the time, women don’t take credit; they don’t take a big bow, they don’t draw attention to themselves. They just get on with it.
If you were to wake up tomorrow and write an entirely different genre to Friends of Dorothy, what would you write?
I have written a murder mystery set during lockdown. It seemed a perfect time for a murder because really there wasn’t anybody around in London. It’s quite dark and it’s full of puzzles that you as the reader have to solve. It’s sat in my bedside drawer for now, but I may publish it one day – we’ll see!
What advice do you have for LGBT+ people who want to follow in your footsteps in entertainment?
Say yes when opportunities arise. Come into them with open eyes. Say ‘I don’t know’ and learn. We have two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you speak.
And what advice do you have for LGBT+ people who, as with your protagonists, may be struggling to have their sexuality accepted by their family?
Never think that you’re on your own. There is a notion, particularly amongst the heteronormative media, that now that gay representation and rights are improved, we’re done. But young people come to me all the time in great distress who can’t come out because of their culture, their faith, the particulars of their family. There are still people in our community suffering every day. So if you are suffering, know you are not alone and we will stand by you. You really can choose your own family.
Recommended reading…
Attitude shares our best recent reads, alongside our current favourite Audible audiobook.
Blackwater – Michael McDowell (Paperback Out Now)
Michael McDowell is one of the most brilliant yet underrated queer horror writers of our time. Hailed by Stephen King as one of the greats, McDowell has been largely overlooked as his novels focus on his experiences of horror in life as opposed to his experiences of sexuality. Until now, with the beautiful rerelease of his series Blackwater, that tell the tale of the arrival of the mysterious Elinor Dammert to the small town of Perdido, whose supernatural presence will change the lives of the community forever. Reflecting both the spooks and giggles of his most-loved work, Beetlejuice, these stunning reissues should not be missed.
Death At Morning House – Maureen Johnson (Paperback Out Now)
As winter kicks in, a mystery novel to unravel whilst wrapped up in a cosy blanket may well be the antidote. Indeed, Death At Morning House is a novel all about unravelling the past. When queer protagonist Marlowe Wexler’s first relationship ends in flames (literally) she finds respite spending the summer at Morning House, a historical site of interest that has long harboured a murderous secret. Will Marlowe be able to solve the mystery of the death of two children? And will Marlowe be murdered before she can reunite with her girlfriend? Marlowe navigates a world of twists and turns, but it is her finding her queer voice that makes this a very special thriller.
AUDIO BOOK PICK
Bury Your Gays – Chuck Tingle
The gays have always been a fan of horror. However, the genre hasn’t always been such a fan of them… Indeed, Tingle’s latest novel, Bury Your Gays, is named after the film theory that cinema about the LGBT+ community favours the death of queer protagonists rather than offering a happy ending.
Tingle explores the convention through a novel premise set in the home of cinema: Hollywood. After a disagreement with his agent to kill off the lesbian heroines of his latest script, horror filmmaker X finds himself being hunted down by the many monsters of his twisted mind.
The joy of Bury Your Gays is its sense of humour – its thoughtful reflections on the relationship between horror and queerness is packaged in a rip-roaring plot at once eery and strange, yet very very funny. Now available on Audible, listen along and scream – both in horror and with laughter!