The natural follow up to my recent post about favourite forms of writing is about my favourite forms of reading in all its forms – non-fiction, fiction, poetry, books, magazines, e-books, newspapers.
It also takes a brief look at reading habits given it is not just a question of print media any more for sources of reading material. [Read more…] about How Have Your Reading Habits Changed?
What are your favourite forms of writing? Fiction? Non-fiction? Poetry?
Do you ever think when you pick up a pen or put fingers to keyboard we are all following a tradition going back thousands of years? Or appreciate how important writing, in all its forms, is for cultural reasons? Or how dangerous writing can be? [Read more…] about Writing, Blogging, Social Media…What’s Your Favourite Forms of Writing?
I love the word serendipity. It has a lovely meaning and a great sound.
This post, I think, can be thought of as being a case of serendipity.
I was planning a post about the joy of libraries for some time and then read Mike’s wonderful article from Sri Lanka about renovating the school library, which confirmed to me I should go ahead with this now. [Read more…] about Sharing the Joy of Libraries
In the days before Google, people used to call their librarians with questions.
“What kind of an apple did Eve eat?”
“Why do 18th century English paintings have so many squirrels in them, and how did they tame them so that they wouldn’t bite the painter?” [Read more…] about Hampshire Library Consultation: Have your Say
On the main road into Kandy there is a narrow doorway leading to Dharmawickrama, a school for 1,000 girls.
My wife Brenda arranged to visit to see what a state school is like. The contrasts within were striking. The building was poorly maintained and conditions were crowded and there were few facilities, no play area, squatter toilets, builder’s rubble in some corridors. [Read more…] about Journey to Sri Lanka: Creating a Local Library for 1,000 Girls
I went to London on 5th December 2015 for the Bridge House Publishing/Cafelit joint book launch celebration. Naturally I left from Chandler’s Ford Station!
Though Bridge House published my first story in print, A Helping Hand in their Alternative Renditions anthology, this year I was going because my short story, The Magic Flute, is in The Best of Cafelit 4.
This was one of the books being launched, the other being Bridge House’s anthology for 2015 called Snowflakes. [Read more…] about My Year-End Review and Book Launch
Further to last week’s post, when Chandler’s Ford author, Richard Hardie of the Temporal Detective Agency fame, shared what signings and other events have occupied him recently, this continuation shares some of his further news as well as tips for fellow writers.
[Read more…] about Adventures of a Fantasy Author – Richard Hardie Interview Part 2
One of my earliest posts for Chandler’s Ford Today was an interview I conducted with local author, and fellow dog walker, Richard Hardie, who had not long released The Trouble With Swords, his second book in his Temporal Detective series and follow up to the marvellous Leap of Faith. [Read more…] about Further Adventures of a Fantasy Author
When you travel along Bournemouth Road to or from Southampton, you pass on one side Keble Road and on the other Keble Close, in Chandler’s Ford.
Both were called after the Rev. John Keble (1792‒1866), vicar of Hursley from 1836 until his death (and briefly curate there in 1825‒1826). [Read more…] about John Keble: Keble Road and Keble Close in Chandler’s Ford
Hampshire County Council have issued a Draft Strategy for the Library Service. This Strategy includes an online questionnaire, actively seeking the public’s views on the proposals. [Read more…] about Hampshire County Library Strategy: Needs Your Views
At the Chandler’s Ford library today I attended an author talk by Richard Hardie: “So you want to be an author?”.
Richard is a Chandler’s Ford author who has written two books in the Temporal Detective Agency series – Leap of Faith and Trouble in Mind. He talked to us about being a writer and good writing tips. [Read more…] about Richard Hardie: “So You Want to be an Author?”
Chandler’s Ford Today covers a wide spectrum of interests – from football to gliding, from local history to reviews of shows in nearby theatres and Thornden Hall. From memories of the Gang Show to news of the latest fundraising efforts by the Scouts and the Fairtrade events.
Naturally a blog like this will attract writers. People like Richard Hardie, whose young adult Temporal Detective Series (Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords), will be highlighted in Chandler’s Ford library next Thursday 29th October. People like Brenda Sedgwick whose first novel, Marriage, a Journey and a Dog, was out earlier this year. [Read more…] about From Dancer to Writer: Felicity Fair Thompson
Charlotte Mary Yonge? Who is she?
She is the woman represented by the new statue of a seated figure in the approach to Eastleigh Railway Station. Yes, but who is she?
Charlotte Mary Yonge is hardly known these days but she was a notable novelist in her time. [Read more…] about Charlotte Mary Yonge in Eastleigh
What is the best thing about fiction for you? The plot? The characters?
For me, the characters are everything. The best plot in the world will fail unless it has the characters to “run” with it.
Do you prefer stand alone novels or a series? [Read more…] about My Top 10 Terry Pratchett Characters
I have loved books, especially fiction, since I was very young.
My mother taught me how to read but was told off for it by teachers when I started school because she hadn’t done it in the correct way. I think these days she’d probably be given a medal. Mind, with all the issues in the news recently, I sometimes wonder how any of us of a certain age ever made it through the 1970s! [Read more…] about Top 10 Reasons to Love Books
When I was very young, my father gave me The Reader’s Digest of Fairy Tales. These were in two hardback volumes and contained the original versions of the classic stories.
I still have these books, which are bound up with tape to stop them falling apart, as I couldn’t tell you how often I read them. There are also wonderful illustrations of the characters. [Read more…] about My Favourite Fairytales
There are many Radio 4 shows I love but I am especially fond of Desert Island Discs. My only problem with it is I would want to take at least 8 books with me to the fictional island, as well as the pieces of music. Since I can’t arrange that, I thought I would share what I love most about stories and list some of my favourites.
One of the first things I pack when getting ready for going on holiday is at least one good book (I also take The Good Book but that’s another matter!).
A good story, whether it is a full length novel or a shorter piece, stays with you long after you have finished reading it.
Writers are lucky here as if it is their story. They get the pleasure of writing it (and reading it first!).
One of the great joys of fiction writing is you have two basic options which are to either invent it all or base your work on a real event. You can be said to be writing history.
Historical novels obviously fall into the second category (as do some crime books). One of my favourite books, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, is based on The Princes in the Tower mystery. [Read more…] about Inspired by Slapton Beach: Felicity Fair Thompson
What’s your story?
It can be difficult for a fiction writer to answer that. We have lots of stories from our tales of how we develop as authors (with hopefully increasing numbers of publishing credits) to each of the actual works we invent and rigorously edit before they see the light of day. [Read more…] about What’s Your Story? Gill James
It is said that everyone has a book in them. Some will write one and a few will even publish.
Publishing is changing fast but the constant among the changes is preservation of the magical golden thread that connects the imagination of the writer to the mind of the reader. [Read more…] about Author, Publisher, Reader – A Golden Thread
