Let's start with the obvious. There are older libraries in the world. However, the Chapter Library of Verona is apparently the oldest continuously operating library in the world, dating from before the 5th century It's no surprise, given where it's located that this library has seen some turbulent times - earthquakes, plague, war and ransacking... Continue Reading →
We all have at least one (possibly more) book we go back to again and again. One we've read so much the cover has fallen off. One we know back to front and sideways. One where the characters are like our friends and family, so real that if they turned up on the doorstep tomorrow,... Continue Reading →
A good writer has to be a big reader. But I think a good writer also needs to get comfortable with the sound of their own voice. Yes, you need to start reading out loud. But why? I hear you whisper. I hear you (just). Writers, on the whole, are quiet folk (alright Oscar Wilde... Continue Reading →
It seems almost impossible that I should have neglected to find the final resting place of the author of my favourite book, Alice in Wonderland. And yet I did. I assumed that Lewis Carroll was interred somewhere in London or Canterbury perhaps. The truth is he rests in a fairly unassuming graveyard in Guildford, roughly... Continue Reading →
If there's one thing I like, one thing I really get a buzz from about writing, it's editing. That's not to say I don't find it painfully hard at times, But 'smithing' my text until I have the perfect sentence or paragraph or scene is just incredibly satisfying. So, here are my top 5 tips... Continue Reading →
The Charles Dickens Museum in London is based in number 48 Doughty Street, where Dickens' lived from 1837 to 1839. It's where he wrote some of his most famous works including Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. It opened as a museum in 1925. The home is furnished with a lot of authentic pieces, many purchased from... Continue Reading →
I'm a little late here, but I want to just talk about New Year’s Resolutions. We make ‘em, we break 'em – that’s true for me and I expect it’s true for a lot of other people as well. Every year we make ourselves all sorts of promises – to loose weight, get fitter, get... Continue Reading →
English: The main reading romm of Graz University Library (19th century) on 2 Sep 2003. Picture taken and uploaded by Dr. Marcus Gossler. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) For a large part of my life, libraries were my sanctuary. My parents were regular visitors and would take my brother and I in every few weeks. My child’s... Continue Reading →
I've been away from the blogosphere recently due to moving to a lovely new home and not having any Internet. But now I'm back, with a slightly more personal post than usual, all about my new place. This is the first flat my boyfriend and I have bought (as opposed to rented) and having a... Continue Reading →
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