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 …
This month I wrote an article for a new collection on historical fiction. Here, ahead of publication, are a few writing tips for those considering the genre. Do your research You don’t have to be a trained historian to write a good historical novel, but you do need to know your period well enough to make your readers confident …
My blog this month is an interview with Professor Yumi Hirata, Professor of Modern Japanese Literature at the University of Osaka. If you could recommend ten Japanese books to English readers, what would these be – and why? I’ve drawn up the following list based on what has been translated (though I can’t vouch for the quality of the translation) …
When Virginia Woolf wrote her now famous essay A Room of One’s Own, she began with a story. She described to her readers how she researched her topic while staying at an Oxbridge college. She ate two meals during her visit, and her account of the delicious fare she was served at a male college (sole in cream sauce, partridge, …
A few years ago I examined a Ph. D. on artists’ houses. The thesis was something of an intellectual departure for me – written by a candidate whose background is in museums rather than literary studies. The thesis explored how houses augment our understanding of the artists who lived there, arguing that the experience is powerful because it engages all …
This month I contributed a short article to one of the Arvon Writing Guides. Here, ahead of publication, are my top tips for writing. They are compiled from years of trial and error. I’d love to hear yours…. Do leave a comment in the box below. Never wait for inspiration. This may come – but it will have more chance …
1. ‘Virginia’ was Woolf’s middle name: her full name was Adeline Virginia Woolf (née Stephen). 2. Woolf was born in 1882, the same year as James Joyce; she died in 1941, the same year as James Joyce. They never met. 3. Woolf’s father, Leslie Stephen, was the son-in-law (through his first marriage) of the famous Victorian novelist William Makepeace …
This month I went to see David Fincher’s film The Social Network. It’s won a number of awards and there is much to admire. I particularly enjoyed the fact that an audience has to work hard to unravel the complex motivations of its main characters. This is a film where there is no obvious good and baddie – and it …