Do Ancient Egyptian artefacts belong in Egypt?
September 23, 2021
In my novel Song of the Nile, and indeed in modern times, this is a crucial question.
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My latest blog posts
Imagine… a world without bookshops
September 20, 2021
On why we must never lose bookshops.
Five important early Egyptologists
September 16, 2021
Egyptology is the study of Ancient Egypt. How did this fascination come about, and who drove it?
Maktoub: That which is already written
September 13, 2021
Is the future written in the stars? Is there truth in fate, maktoub, destiny?
Another award for Song of the Nile!
September 9, 2021
I’m so delighted to have won this Pinnacle Book Achievement Award.
A visual tour of my novels
September 9, 2021
From Egypt to Greece, Spain to Italy, I feature so many beautiful settings in my novels.
Tea at the Ritz: A timeless tradition
September 6, 2021
If you visit London, don’t miss a spot of afternoon tea at the Ritz…
The date tree of Egypt: ‘Bread of the desert’
September 2, 2021
The date tree of Egypt is an essential staple for the nomads of the desert.
Poetry Week: ‘Travel’ by Robert Louis Stevenson
August 30, 2021
A call to travel, and to experience cultures: ‘I should like to rise and go…’
Song of the Nile’s first award!
August 27, 2021
I’m thrilled that Song of the Nile has won the Romance category in the 2021 American Fiction Awards!
Poetry Week: Love poems of Ancient Egypt
August 26, 2021
Welcome to Poetry Week on my blog! Here’s an article on passionate poems from the ancient civilisation of Egypt.
Tomb robbing in Ancient Egypt
August 23, 2021
Egyptian artefact smuggling is a theme in my novel Song of the Nile, and of course it originates in the age-old crime of tomb robbing.
Taking inspiration from historic nurses
August 19, 2021
In Song of the Nile, my heroine, Aida, is a nurse who has been deeply touched by the stories of great nurses of previous wars.
On men reading books by women
August 16, 2021
Research has shown that men are less keen to read books by women. Why? And is this a helpful attitude?
5 triumphs of Ancient Egypt
August 12, 2021
Ancient Egypt was a great civilisation, and we have the Ancient Egyptians to thank for many advances that are foundation stones of our modern world.
Recipe: Dolma/mahshy
August 9, 2021
One of my favourite Middle Eastern recipes is dolma, which is very popular in Egypt.
Abu Simbel, monument to the pharaoh Rameses II
August 5, 2021
In writing articles about my homeland, Egypt, how could I miss out the stunning temples of Abu Simbel at Aswan?
Ancient Egyptian scribes
August 2, 2021
To be a scribe in Ancient Egypt was to live a life of knowledge, respect and wealth…
Unrest in Egypt: Sewing the seeds for revolution
July 29, 2021
My novel Song of the Nile is set in 1940s Egypt, after the World War. This was a time of escapism and making hay while the sun shone. But a revolution was looming…
10 Ancient Egyptian inventions we use today
July 26, 2021
A civilisation of great advances, the legacy of the Ancient Egyptians is evident in many aspects of our lives today.
Will absence make the heart grow fonder?
July 22, 2021
In Song of the Nile, the hero and heroine have a past. Once friends, they were torn apart by a betrayal several years before. So, will absence have made the heart grow fonder – or harder?
Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo
July 19, 2021
The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is an iconic and famous building in Cairo – one of the oldest and best-preserved mosques in Egypt.
Akhenaten and Nefertiti
July 15, 2021
Akhenaten was a pharaoh with a vision: to shake up the Ancient Egyptian religion so that there was only one god. He and his queen Nefertiti are among the most famous royal Egyptians.
Never too late to pursue a dream? On literary late bloomers
July 12, 2021
In our modern world it seems to me that there is a great and powerful need to hurry. If you have a dream, there is no time to waste, we are told: go out there right now and seize hold of your dream! But this is not the only path to a dream; and neither, perhaps, is it the best one.
The story of Isis and Osiris
July 8, 2021
Osiris and Isis were very important deities in Ancient Egyptian religion, and their story has endured to this day.
Girl meets boy: writing the pivotal first meeting in a love story
July 5, 2021
‘The first meeting of a hero and heroine in a novel: will it be dramatic, or tender, or dreamy, or antagonistic? Whatever the scenario, one ingredient will be key: chemistry…’
Hatshepsut: The female king of Egypt
July 1, 2021
The second female pharaoh of Egypt, Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty was a formidable woman who ruled the country not as a queen, but as a king.
Ancient Egyptian festivals
June 28, 2021
Festivals were an important part of life in Ancient Egypt, and there were plenty of them!
Anthony and Cleopatra: an enduring love story
June 24, 2021
In a series of blog articles, I am exploring the great love stories of Ancient Egypt. First, Anthony and Cleopatra: passionate, dramatic, epic, it is one of the most enduring stories of all time.
How art inspires my writing
June 21, 2021
‘For as long as I can remember, art has fired up my imagination. I remember gazing at paintings on the wall in my childhood home for ages, dreaming up stories that would play out in the worlds inside the picture frames. When I wrote my first book, it was natural for me to turn to art for inspiration…’
My latest blog posts
Do Ancient Egyptian artefacts belong in Egypt?
September 23, 2021
In my novel Song of the Nile, and indeed in modern times, this is a crucial question.
Imagine… a world without bookshops
September 20, 2021
On why we must never lose bookshops.
Five important early Egyptologists
September 16, 2021
Egyptology is the study of Ancient Egypt. How did this fascination come about, and who drove it?
Maktoub: That which is already written
September 13, 2021
Is the future written in the stars? Is there truth in fate, maktoub, destiny?
Another award for Song of the Nile!
September 9, 2021
I’m so delighted to have won this Pinnacle Book Achievement Award.
A visual tour of my novels
September 9, 2021
From Egypt to Greece, Spain to Italy, I feature so many beautiful settings in my novels.
Tea at the Ritz: A timeless tradition
September 6, 2021
If you visit London, don’t miss a spot of afternoon tea at the Ritz…
The date tree of Egypt: ‘Bread of the desert’
September 2, 2021
The date tree of Egypt is an essential staple for the nomads of the desert.
Poetry Week: ‘Travel’ by Robert Louis Stevenson
August 30, 2021
A call to travel, and to experience cultures: ‘I should like to rise and go…’
Song of the Nile’s first award!
August 27, 2021
I’m thrilled that Song of the Nile has won the Romance category in the 2021 American Fiction Awards!
Poetry Week: Love poems of Ancient Egypt
August 26, 2021
Welcome to Poetry Week on my blog! Here’s an article on passionate poems from the ancient civilisation of Egypt.
Tomb robbing in Ancient Egypt
August 23, 2021
Egyptian artefact smuggling is a theme in my novel Song of the Nile, and of course it originates in the age-old crime of tomb robbing.
Taking inspiration from historic nurses
August 19, 2021
In Song of the Nile, my heroine, Aida, is a nurse who has been deeply touched by the stories of great nurses of previous wars.
On men reading books by women
August 16, 2021
Research has shown that men are less keen to read books by women. Why? And is this a helpful attitude?
5 triumphs of Ancient Egypt
August 12, 2021
Ancient Egypt was a great civilisation, and we have the Ancient Egyptians to thank for many advances that are foundation stones of our modern world.
Recipe: Dolma/mahshy
August 9, 2021
One of my favourite Middle Eastern recipes is dolma, which is very popular in Egypt.
My latest blog posts
Do Ancient Egyptian artefacts belong in Egypt?
September 23, 2021
In my novel Song of the Nile, and indeed in modern times, this is a crucial question.
Imagine… a world without bookshops
September 20, 2021
On why we must never lose bookshops.
Five important early Egyptologists
September 16, 2021
Egyptology is the study of Ancient Egypt. How did this fascination come about, and who drove it?
Maktoub: That which is already written
September 13, 2021
Is the future written in the stars? Is there truth in fate, maktoub, destiny?
Another award for Song of the Nile!
September 9, 2021
I’m so delighted to have won this Pinnacle Book Achievement Award.
A visual tour of my novels
September 9, 2021
From Egypt to Greece, Spain to Italy, I feature so many beautiful settings in my novels.
Tea at the Ritz: A timeless tradition
September 6, 2021
If you visit London, don’t miss a spot of afternoon tea at the Ritz…
The date tree of Egypt: ‘Bread of the desert’
September 2, 2021
The date tree of Egypt is an essential staple for the nomads of the desert.