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April is Shakespeare

April 2016 will be steeped in all things Shakespearean as William Shakespeare (1564–1616) died four hundred years ago and everybody is (still) talking about it. Which is good as everyone should know who Shakespeare was and what an enormous debt the modern world owe to his work. What not everyone might know is that someone soContinue reading “April is Shakespeare”

Agatha Christie – still the Queen of Crime

January is traditionally a time for new things, new ideas, new starts. It makes sense to do this as it follows closing the old year and moving on. Named after the Roman god Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions and from the from the Latin word, ianua, which means ‘door’, this is the doorContinue reading “Agatha Christie – still the Queen of Crime”

Dodie Smith – The Shop Girl Writer

On the last day of November the weather has gone to rain and wind. Good weather for hunkering indoors and reading and writing. It got me thinking about all this year’s literary prizes (and there were a lot) and how some of the results of those prizes won’t be known until 2016. Writing for competitionsContinue reading “Dodie Smith – The Shop Girl Writer”

Enid Marx – Queen of the Mocquette

When I think of the name ‘Marx’ two things come to mind – The Marx Brothers and Karl Marx. Both are interesting in their own ways, but I had never heard of Enid Marx (1902-1998) until we visited the Compton Verney Art Gallery in the summer holidays. She was an English painter, designer, children’s book writerContinue reading “Enid Marx – Queen of the Mocquette”

September is ‘Back to School’

Vivian Maier worked as a nanny in America, but her real work was photography. She took photographs everywhere (often when walking the children she was looking after) and kept the negatives. She had a few printed, but never made money from her photography. Which is a shame as after her death her negatives were discovered,Continue reading “September is ‘Back to School’”