Start the Week with some Woman Power
12 November, 2012
Since my previous blog on Female Literary Legends, I’ve become aware of some real-life legendary women who I think deserve another blog post. Many of you have probably heard of Malala Yousafzai, the fifteen-year-old girl who was recently shot by the Taliban because she campaigned for women’s right to education. People around the world are […]
Lunch at the House of Lords…
5 November, 2012
Today I was lucky enough to go along to a lunchtime reception at the House of Lords, celebrating the fact that Norwich has been named England’s first UNESCO City of Literature. Personally, I had no idea that Norwich had such a rich literary history, but this week I’ve discovered that it can lay claim to […]
Embrace the zombie this Halloween!
30 October, 2012
What with it being Halloween tomorrow and the weather getting steadily more wintry, we’re all in a spooky mood. And I think there’s one scary trend that might be getting steadily bigger – I mean, of course, zombies. Yes, the undead theme has been around for a while now, but I think it’s still going […]
John Wilcox book signing in Salisbury
23 October, 2012
Tuesday 20th November, 11.00am WATERSTONES, SALISBURY Come and meet historical novelist John Wilcox (author of the acclaimed Simon Fonthill series) who will be signing copies of his new and moving novel, Starshine, set during the First World War, at Waterstone’s, 7-9 High Street, Salisbury SP1 2NJ. For more information call the bookshop on 01722 […]
A tribute to Sylvia Plath
22 October, 2012
Recently Stylist published an article on Sylvia Plath, pointing out that if she was still alive, she would have been eighty years old this month. Despite the preconceptions of her poetry being overly angst-ridden, I’m not ashamed to say I’m a big fan of Plath – it’s a difficult choice, but she might just be […]
What’s in a name?
18 October, 2012
I read a thought-provoking article the other day in Stylist, on a crime writing prize judged by grande dame herself Ruth Rendell. What was fascinating to me were the trends that evolved from the entries. Firstly, many of the protagonists were red-haired (or flame-coloured, crimson, ruby, scarlet, auburn, burgundy – depending on the thesaurus to hand.) […]
Winners of a signed copy of Yew Tree Gardens
16 October, 2012
Finf out if you were one of the two lucky winners!
What poems do you turn to for comfort?
16 October, 2012
Given the amount of time I spend trying to think of blog topics, I can’t believe I forgot National Poetry Day the other week. One of my favourite features was from The Guardian: a question and answer session entitled Poetry Prescriptions, where those writing in with the usual agony aunt complaints were prescribed some apt […]
Victorian Murder & Mystery evening with D E Meredith in Windsor
12 October, 2012
Celebrate the Thames Balley Festival of History by joining novelists D E Meredith, Essie Fox and Lynn Shepherd at Windsor Guild Hall as they talk about murder and mystery and their passion for the Victorian era on Tuesday 13th November, 7.30pm.
D E Meredith talks Blood, Butterflies and Beasts at Teddington Library
12 October, 2012
Wednesday 12th December, 7.00pm – 8.00pm, £2, TEDDINGTON LIBRARY Come and meet, crime writer D E Meredith who will be giving a fascinating talk entitled Blood, Butterflies and Beasts about 19th Century science, forensics, evolution and the Victorian imagination! It all ties in with her novel Devoured, the first book in a brand new crime […]
D E Meredith speaking at Kew Library
12 October, 2012
Come and meet debut novelist D E Meredith, who will be talking about Devoured, the first book in a brand new Victorian crime series set in London at the dawn of forensic science at Kew Library on Tuesday 4 December, 6.30pm.
Catherine Law speaking at Chesham Library
12 October, 2012
Come and enjoy a coffee morning with author Catherine Law who will be talking about and signing copies of her new book The September Garden, at Chesham Library on Wednesday 12th December, 10.00 am.
Art, Film, TV… and Books (of course) for the Autumn
11 October, 2012
Autumn has come around so quickly this year – it seems incredible that we’re already in October. And with the recent heavy downpours, storms and flood warnings, it doesn’t look like we’re going to get that Indian summer everyone’s been hoping for. But don’t worry – particularly if you’re in the city of London, there […]
Ode to Chocolate…
9 October, 2012
Following the very successful launch of D E Meredith’s Devoured, our lovely author popped in last week to drop off a positively drool-worthy box of posh chocolates. It’s safe to say they didn’t last long. And now, still with chocolate on the brain, and just when the days are becoming more grey and miserable, here’s […]
Publishing Open House…
8 October, 2012
In these challenging days of publishing there are some seriously interesting marketing ideas afoot. Not least so that of Random House, US who, in the spirit of Open House London are hosting an exclusive event in their New York offices this coming November. For $25 those who’ve always wondered what happens behind the scenes in […]
Literary Lego
4 October, 2012
It’s amazing the things you come across accidentally online. I don’t even read The Telegraph, but somehow I stumbled upon this on their website – the nine circles of hell from Dante’s inferno, recreated in Lego. It’s pretty impressive, although of course my first thought was that the guy has too much time on his […]
Post-it Love…
25 September, 2012
Books, fax machines, photocopiers are all being packed up around us as we prepare for the Great Office Move. I’m hesitating over what to pack up and what not to. Is that file important? Will I need that dictionary? Can those samples be packed up? As my office stationery dwindles I’ve come to the conclusion […]
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet to hit the stage
21 September, 2012
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford has been made into a stage production by Book-It Repertory Theatre and will run from 22 September to 28 October at The Centre Theatre in Seattle.
Alanna Knight & Alex Gray at Mayfield Library, Edinburgh
21 September, 2012
Thursday 29th November, 7pm – 9pm MAYFIELD LIBRARY, EDINBURGH Come and meet Scottish crime writers Alanna Knight (author of the acclaimed Inspector Faro and Rose McQuinn series) and Alex Gray, who will be talking about and signing copies of their books at Mayfield LIbrary, 1 Stone Avenue, Dalkeith, Edinburgh EH22 5PD. For more information […]
Zoë Sharp speaking at Sheffield’s Off the Shelf festival
21 September, 2012
Wednesday 7th November, 11.00am CENTRAL LIBRARY, SHEFFIELD Come and meet Zoë Sharp at Sheffield’s Off the Shelf book festival as she talks about her unconventional route into writing, (she opted out of mainstream education at age twelve and wrote her first novel when she was fifteen) and the creation of her best-selling Charlie Fox series. […]
Is an unread book easier to ignore on a Kindle?
18 September, 2012
While we can still go away outside of school holiday times we’re making the most of it. So last week while everyone else was manically sewing on labels and dusting off blazers, we were packing up for a blissful week in northern France. At least that was our plan. Unfortunately we took along an unwelcome […]