books

Review of the Windsor Fringe Kenneth Branagh Award For New Drama Writing 2011

Thumbnail image for Review of the Windsor Fringe Kenneth Branagh Award For New Drama Writing 2011

  Some of us may already have enough drama in our lives while some thrive on it. I’ll take the latter approach especially after my debut attendance to the annual Windsor Fringe Drama Awards. Now in its eighth year, the concept is to give aspiring writers the chance to see their work brought to life [...]

Read more →

The Book Swap Interview – Jonathan Pinnock

Thumbnail image for The Book Swap Interview – Jonathan Pinnock

I love the fact that you can play with stuff without feeling you’re committed to a long-term relationship. So you can try out new things, like writing a piece in the second person, or the future tense or whatever.

Read more →

The Book Swap Interview – John Harding

Thumbnail image for The Book Swap Interview – John Harding

I’ve always talked to myself inside my head and it came as a surprise a few years ago when I discovered that some other people didn’t. I have my own private language and catchphrases, and I assumed everyone did.

Read more →

A Most Cool Author – An Interview With R.J. Ellory

Thumbnail image for A Most Cool Author – An Interview With R.J. Ellory

Ellory admits to probably not reading enough in recent years – but we’ll forgive him – a four-hundred page novel every twelve months not to mention the book tours, work in local libraries, replying religiously to e-mails from fans (and aspiring writers…!), some charity work and of course a family – does exonerate him.

Read more →

The Book Swap Interview – Isabel Losada

Thumbnail image for The Book Swap Interview – Isabel Losada

There are always a lot of good and excellent things to consider – art, music, literature, people who are inspiring. Lots to celebrate. And I think often of a man I miss. But I’m not mentioning him. Obviously.

Read more →

The Book Swap Interview – Jonathan Lee

Thumbnail image for The Book Swap Interview – Jonathan Lee

It’s coming to something when quitting, an impulse that’s usually considered destructive, gets wheeled out as a man’s greatest achievement but leaving behind my safe, nicely paid job that I’d trained to do for years was difficult. I’m someone who likes an element of routine, of safety and familiarity, and backing myself to write a novel – when in truth I had no good reason to believe I could write a publishable one – required a leap of faith.

Read more →

The Book Swap Interview – Steven Hall

Thumbnail image for The Book Swap Interview – Steven Hall

In terms of memory and identity, a big thing I wanted to explore in the book was – if we lose the people closest to us, if we lose the people who show us who we are by reflecting ourselves back to us, then what’s left? Can there even be a self in the same way once they’re gone?

Read more →

The Bookshop Guy talks: Christmas – oh yes it is!

Thumbnail image for The Bookshop Guy talks: Christmas – oh yes it is!

Merry Christmas everyone! Get used to that, folks because we’re completely bypassing Halloween this year.

Read more →

The Bookshop Guy talks: Blair, Kinsella, Sansom and Woodrell

Thumbnail image for The Bookshop Guy talks: Blair, Kinsella, Sansom and Woodrell

Who I am is neither here nor there – what I’m doing is the really interesting bit

Read more →

Scott Pack – The Book Swap Interview

Thumbnail image for Scott Pack – The Book Swap Interview

I read an interview with Twiggy in which she talked about clothes swap parties. Apparently women meet up, bring along clothes that don’t fit any more or that they no longer like and then spend the evening stripping off and trying everything on. It immediately struck me that you could do the same with books. Only without the stripping. Which is a shame, thinking about it.

Read more →