A voice from the past

I've just enjoyed listening to the podcast of Sounds Historical where Jim Hopkins played a recording of an old interview with Ngaio Marsh, complete with old-time static. I find it amazing to listen to sound recordings of writers since passed, it gives a dose of the spine tingles. I experienced this with the recording of Janet Frame emanating from the radiogram at Janet Frame's house at Eden St in Oamaru, and experienced it here listening to Ngaio Marsh's resonant voice.

Ngaio talks about why she got started with crime fiction, and about plot, amongst other things. It's a fascinating and slightly eerie glimpse into her motivations and her past.

After the Ngaio Marsh interview Jim talks with Joanne Drayton, author of the recently released biography Ngaio Marsh: Her life in crime. It's a lovely combination hearing Ngaio, and then her biographer. It's also interesting to hear how well the mystery writer worked so hard to keep her personal life a mystery.

Click the link here to go straight to the podcast, or here to go to the Sounds Historical webpage and internet links. The interviews are in the second hour of the Sunday the 16th of November show, and doesn't start until part way through the hour. I'd embed them into the blog if I could, but my technical adviser is out, and I haven't figured it out myself yet. (Anyway, why figure it out when Hubby can do it for you - it makes him feel needed.)

So thanks to Hugh and Nicky for the heads-up on this - My friends seem to realise I'm a teensy bit interested in my fellow New Zealand crime writer.

And speaking of Ngaio Marsh, Kerrie over at Mysteries in Paradise has posted this review of A Man Lay Dead, and David Cranmer at The Education of a Pulp Writer has posted this review of Death in Ecstasy - which is the next book on my Ngaio Marsh Challenge list.

I tell you, Ngaio is all the rage!