Geraldine Bedell is a British novelist and writer for The Observer.
She drew wide public attention when she claimed she had been disinvited from a planned appearance at the first International Festival of Literature in Dubai, because her novel The Gulf Between Us featured a homosexual sheikh.[1][2] Writer Margaret Atwood cancelled her scheduled appearance but later retracted when she found out that Bedell had never been invited to the Festival nor had her book been banned.[3] Atwood subsequently made two virtual appearances at the Festival and appeared in person at the 2011 Festival.[4][5][6]
Family[edit]
She is married to Charles Leadbeater and is the sister of Elaine Bedell,[7] CEO of the Southbank Centre.
Bedell's first marriage was to banker Jon Norton, with whom she has two children.
Books[edit]
- The Handmade House (Penguin, 2005)
- The Gulf Between Us (Penguin, 2009)
- Party Tricks (Hodder & Stoughton, 1996)
- A Fabulous Fling (HarperCollins, 2000)
References[edit]
- ^ Caroline Gammell "British author Geraldine Bedell banned from Dubai book festival British author Geraldine Bedell has been banned from a book festival in Dubai because one of the characters in her new book is gay", Daily Telegraph, 16 February 2009.
- ^ Geraldine Bedell "The only offensive thing about my novel is that it's been banned", The Guardian (blog), 17 February 2009.
- ^ Dugdale, John; Atwood, Margaret; Royle, Nicholas (21 February 2009). "Bedell never answered the letter of invitation in the first place". The Guardian.
- ^ "Palin, Atwood to headline Dubai literary fest". Emirates 24/7. 13 December 2010.
- ^ Addley, Esther (21 February 2009). "Atwood wrongfully led to believe that a book by Geraldine Bedell had been banned both from the festival and the Emirates themselves". The Guardian.
- ^ Alison Flood "Atwood pulls out of Dubai festival in censorship protest", The Guardian, 18 February 2009.
- ^ "Media families 20: The Bedells", The Independent, 30 June 1997
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