QWERTYUIOP - Lesson 1

Hi there! 

Have you read "QWERTYUIOP"? Before we discuss the title and synopsis of the short story, let's us take a look at the writer of "QWERTYUIOP" first.

The Writer

Vivien Alcock (1924 – 2003) was an author of children's books. Born in Worthing, West Sussex, in England, her family moved to Devizes in Wiltshire when she was aged 10. She then studied at the Oxford School of Arts.

She was married to author Leon Garfield, with whom she adopted a daughter, named Jane after Jane Austen. They met during World War II, when Vivien was an ambulance driver. Her first book was The Haunting of Cassie Palmer which was followed by The Monster Garden and others. (From Wikipedia.org)

You can also find more information on Vivien Alcock at these sites:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivien_Alcock
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/351034.Vivien_Alcock


Before we move on any further, I have a few questions related to this short story. Discuss with your partner and post your opinion at the comment section of this blog post.


1- What do you think of this short story's title?


Synopsis

 ‘QWERTYUIOP’ by Vivien Alcock is about a young graduate named Lucy Beck who has just finished her ‘O’ levels at Belmont Secretarial College. Being a slow learner herself, she has no confidence that she will find a job. Fortunately, she is offered a job by Mr. Ross, the Manager of Ross and Bannister’s. During her first day, she encounters many peculiar incidents. Later, she finds out that there is a spirit lingering around the office who is adamant in holding on to her position as the company’s secretary. Towards the end of the story, Lucy tries to get rid of the spirit that has been haunting that place for many years by putting the spirit at peace.

Picture 1- A haunted typewriter