A few weeks ago, novelist Clare Morgan and I gave a joint talk at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival. The organisers of the Festival presented us with a goodie bag, to say thank you for our contribution. I still have the bag. Not only is it a decent size and nicely robust, it is also rather beautiful, with shiny …
I spent a few days in Bath this month, and these, for me, were the highlights: The Roman Baths These go back to Celtic times when a shrine was built around the hot spring in honour of the goddess Sulis. When the Romans invaded, they cleverly incorporated the name and cult of Sulis into worship of their own goddess Minerva. …
People often ask me what it’s like living in the fens so I thought this month I would take a moment to answer. I live in a small village with a church, a pub, a Montessori nursery and a primary school. There used to be a post office but like so many in rural areas it closed a few years …
The story of Scott’s tragic journey to reach the South Pole ahead of his Norwegian rival is well known. It’s a tale of personal ambition and national pride, of grim courage and extraordinary endurance, of ill luck and wrong decisions – and of stubborn, almost foolhardy, determination. The writings of those who died on that journey – Dr Wilson, Lieutenant …
With the rise in vogue of literary festivals, here are some tips for authors about reading work aloud in public Prepare your welcome Those first moments when you walk out on stage can feel very scary, and the last thing you want is to communicate those nerves to an audience. When you get to the mike, make a point of …
Following on from last month’s blog about Thai literature, I asked Thai scholar Verita Sriratana if she could answer a few more questions. I began by asking her about the current literary scene in Thailand. Here are her thoughts: ‘This is difficult, particularly because I have been studying abroad for the past four years, but from what I can observe …
For my blog this month, I asked Thai scholar Verita Sriratana to recommend her pick of Thai writers. She has chosen three, well-known in Thailand not only for their literary impact but also for their engagement with Thai society and politics. Naowarat Pongpaiboon (1940- ) ‘Pongpaiboon is known for his poems written in traditional metre and rhyme scheme and full of …
Increasingly academics and writers are being asked to liaise with the media. This was the subject of a fascinating conference I attended earlier this year, and the starting point for a series of videos by St Andrews University. Here is a digest. Hope it helps! Preparation Find out about the programme/paper and journalist who wish to interview you and ask …