YOU might remember this children’s nursery rhyme about magpies.

It is called “One for Sorrow”

and according to an old superstition, the number of magpies one sees determines if one will have bad luck.

It begins with these lines: was great. It opened with a half hour play which contained lots of swooning.

“We learnt it had been written by Jane Austen when she was 14-years-old and was a take off (parody) of what was going on in her society and in literature of the time.

“It was great seeing Paula “One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret, never to be told.”

The secrets part of this rhyme could apply to the novels written by Sanjida Kay.

The Bristol-based thriller writer will be attending the Taunton Literary Festival on Monday, November 13.

She will be part of the Crime Panel which will consist of Sanjida plus Debbie Young who wrote Best Murder in Show and Lionel Ward who wrote The Shakespeare Thief.

Sanjida has written ten books, which include novels and nonfiction.

Her two thrillers are Bone by Bone and The Stolen Child.

Somerset County Gazette:

She has already completed her third thriller called My Mother’s Secret which will be published in May 2018 and is just about to start on her fourth thriller which will look at the dangers of booking a holiday through an online company you know nothing about.

(the author) and Imogen (the actress) taking about this as you understood it from a different perspective. I learnt so much from it which I did not know.

“What is good is Imogen will be appearing at the radio event on November 22.”

The Shakespeare event on Saturday was a read out loud Looking ahead to the Taunton Literary Festival, Sanjida said: “I love literary festivals and I have just returned from attending four different events.

“I like the challenge they pose in terms of questions which are thrown at me by readers and members of the public at the event.

“I love witting, reading and sharing my work.

“I like to read aloud when I event of Two Gentlemen of Verona.

This was read out loud by members of the audience who each did a bit before passing it on to the person next to them.

The film on Saturday afternoon One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich followed by by a discussion of the book and have finished my novel as you can tell by reading if there are mistakes and if the rhythm of the story is right.

“For my second thriller The Stolen Child i mapped out what I wanted to do in each chapter.

“I knew who were going to the suspects in the book and who were the red herrings.

“The only thing I changed was the final reveal which I moved to earlier in the book as I did not want people weeping in the streets.

“What I like about writing is I love words and language. I love getting into other people’s heads.

“With The Stolen Child the story is told from Zoe who is Evie’s mum and also from the point of the view of the kidnappers.”

Evie is adopted and Sanjida who is mixed race and grew up with her mother and step father so she feels she can empathize with Evie about feeling different and the question of belonging and identity.

Tickets for the Crime Panel on Monday, November 13, with Sanjida Key, Debbie Young and Lionel Ward cost £5.

You can book your tickets either by going online at tauntonliteraryfestival.net or you should call Brendon Books on 01823 337742.