Carla Lane

INSTEAD OF DIAMONDS:
Observations on Life

Michael Joseph, London 1995
Penguin, London 1996

The most successful woman writer in British television comedy.
The Times

Carla Lane, one of Britain's best-loved television women writers, has written an entrancing account of her life. For all those who love her series, such as the Liver Birds and Butterflies, this is the first opportunity to enjoy her style and wit in book form.

She was born in Liverpool and grew up in a staunchly united family. From Auntie Gertie, who stole a gold chalice from the local church, to Uncle Tom who spent all his leisure hours writing to soap manufacturers, they brought magic into her early life and were the inspiration for much of her later writing.

Spurred on by the thought of being able to have a dog, Carla married when she was in her teens. She had two sons, a nice husband, and she lived in a nice home in a nice road. But each night, while her family slept, she sat and wrote. Success broke in 1970 when her first scripts were accepted and the Liver Birds was born.

Having 'done the marriage, done the children, done the cooking, done the fruitless journey across miles of carpet with that bloody Hoover', Carla was determined to succeed as a writer. Spurting out ideas like a Roman candle, she went on to write such successful series as Solo, Mistress, Bread, Screaming and Luv.

This book explores universal themes such as sex, relationships and motherhood, and captures the images, recalls the moments that she always turns to when her spirit hangs its head. With her inimitable voice Carla imparts her passion for animals - the sound of doves in the conservatory and the shifting of her awakening Lurcher are the sounds she best likes to hear. She is as engaging and funny as anyone would expect who has ever watched her series.

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