WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE: THE THIRD SPACE
FROM HERE…
FEATURING JILL BROWN
What brought you to France, when
and from where?
I first came to France in 1980 from
Scotland to work as a chef on a
millionaire’s yacht (formerly known as
gin palaces) on the Côte d’Azur.
Although fascinating at first, after a
year I’d had enough and joined my
future husband in another project, but
still in France. We bought a Dutch
working barge in London, turned her
into a floating hotel, and crossed the
Channel with her. After sixteen years
of running weekly cruises for rich
tourists on the French canals, my hair
turned grey and my humour ran out.
Apart from buying, renovating and
selling/renting houses as an income, I became semi-retired. That’s when I took
up writing and did a Writers Bureau course.
What are the advantages of living in France for a writer?
I wouldn’t say there is any specific advantage of living in France for a writer,
except perhaps the pace of life is more relaxed.
Has your writing output increased since you came to France?
Before living here, I’d never written more than a diary. Once I moved here, any
spare time I had I spent travelling, so the question doesn’t really apply.
Is there anything you find hard to cope with in France?
Sometimes the etiquette and the logical thinking can drive me mad, even after
all these years, and I find the French less open than most of their
Mediterranean neighbours. But I’d probably feel more of a stranger in Scotland
now, to be honest, in a cultural sense. Of course, it’s always good to have a
chance to speak your own language (I mean English not Scottish!) but it’s also
essential to understand the people you live amongst by speaking theirs. This for
me is no hardship though I still stumble on vocabulary.
What impact did France have on you emotionally, sensorally or
intellectually and did you incorporate this into your writing?
At first, when everything was new to me, I often saw France, its people and way
of life through rose-tinted spectacles and it was perhaps more of an inspiration
than it is today, though the cultural differences and people’s reaction to me
being an étrangère (foreigner) can still prompt ideas for stories. But, in general,
I find more inspiration elsewhere.
8 | MAY 2017