In my latest novel Aphrodite’s Tears, set on a Greek island, I draw extensively on the mythology of the Ancient Greeks. Here is my heroine’s impression of a hall in her home on the island: The sheer size of the room with its high, ornate domed ceiling, supported by delicately
The Ancient Greeks were a passionate people, as reflected in their colourful, dramatic myths. Love is a common theme in those stories – but so is tragedy. Last week, I shared with you the myth of the mountain nymph Echo, whose unrequited love for Narcissus caused her to fade away
Having written novels since my early twenties, I have long considered myself a novelist – a long-form writer. But earlier this week, I was hunting through my blog posts and it struck me suddenly how many I was searching through. Writing articles for this blog and sharing them each week
I read French literature at university, and am deeply inspired by the French romantic authors of the 19th century, like Stendhal, Musset, Theophile Gautier, Leconte de Lisle and Victor Hugo. But there is one author of English literature from this period who has also influenced my writing, and that is
I am fascinated by etymology: the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. The Little Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins is one of the most-well-thumbed books on my shelf. While I was writing my novel Aphrodite’s Tears, which draws upon
For many writers, the most important part of the ‘room with a view’ for their writing is the view. For Victor Hugo, whose writing space I visited in this series last week, it was a view over the sea to his beloved France. For many writers, though, what can be
In 2014, Svend Brinkmann, professor of psychology at Aalborg University, Denmark, published a book entitled Stand Firm: Resisting the Self-Improvement Craze. In the book, Brinkmann applies the wisdom of the Stoics of Ancient Greece and Rome to counter the modern trend of challenging oneself to grow and develop. He advocates ‘standing
Happy St. Valentine’s Day! If there was ever a day to make a declaration of love, this is it. We do not need flowers, or chocolates, or champagne; we do not need moonlit strolls and candlelight (though these are lovely, of course!); what we need is words that convey all
So far in my Writers’ Spaces series I’ve visited a tower writing room where privacy was key, and two homes where novelists penned their works at tables in snug family rooms. Today’s writing space is both snug and private, but neither of these factors are what really mattered to the writer: this
Last week, I introduced a series on my blog exploring where noted writers through history wrote their works. My first article focused on Sissinghurst Castle, home of Vita Sackville-West, and took a look at the tower that she claimed as her own private writing space. Such a statuesque and grand
Sir Winston Churchill, politician and prolific writer, said this of the writing process: Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just
Readers of my fiction will know that I paint settings vividly. A strong sense of place brings colour and context and atmosphere to the story. But setting is not only important on the page; setting matters a great deal to the writer striving to put words on paper. I write
Sun, sea and sky: in Ancient Greek mythology, each had its own god. Poseidon was the god of the sea, Apollo was the sun god, and mighty Zeus was the god of the sky (and everything beneath it). As I wrote my novel Aphrodite’s Tears, I had Aphrodite, goddess of
On the British high street, a store called Poundland specialises in selling all manner of items for just £1. Usually, those items are mundane – cleaning cloths, for example, and envelopes. But last week the media thoroughly enjoyed sharing the newest product line in the Poundland range: engagement rings. As
The first hedge maze I ever navigated was at Hampton Court Palace. It was planted for William III of Orange as a means of entertainment for the gentry in around 1690, making it the oldest surviving hedge maze in the world. It is not vast – the paths cover about half
My latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, begins with the chance meeting of two strangers, Oriel and Damian, on a beach one evening. I write: The dark waves murmured on the sand, their gently rolling edges lit a luminous blue under the moonlight. Everything was cloaked in unreality and it was as
In my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, my heroine takes a job working on a small Greek island off whose coast a fascinating old shipwreck has been discovered. As an archaeologist, Oriel is used to being immersed in the past, but she is astonished to find the past so present on
Happy New Year! I love waking up to a new year, full of promise and potential. But as the following poem conveys, we can have this wonderful feeling every single day, if we so choose: ‘New Year’s Morning’ by Helen Hunt Jackson Only a night from old to new! Only
What does the New Year holiday mean to you? Counting down to midnight, perhaps, and raising a toast to a prosperous new year; watching the fireworks; sharing a meal with loved ones. It’s a meaningful holiday – after all, since ancient times people have celebrated new beginnings – but in our
A very happy Christmas to you all. Here, infused with the spirit of Christmas, is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem ‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’. What better wish can we make today than ‘peace on earth, good will to men’… I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old
It’s the most magical time of the year – for children, of course, but for adults too who are infused with the spirit of Christmas. No doubt you and your family have developed your own traditions over the years. Our Christmas Eve ones include attending a carol service, unwrapping a
‘You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one’ So wrote John Lennon and Yoko Ono for the song ‘Imagine’. Aren’t we all dreamers, deep down? We all have aspirations. We may hold these dreams close; quietly long to do something or have something. Or we may
What better gift to give and receive at Christmas than one that brings comfort, solace, inspiration, enjoyment and learning? Books are readily available, they are inexpensive and they are bound to be treasured, for as Stephen King put it, they are ‘a uniquely portable magic’. I love to browse bookstores and choose
Are you familiar with the Image of God concept? It’s inherent in the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Sufism that human beings were created in the image of God. The Ancient Greeks had a different take, however, on creation and the gods. When we talk about Greek gods and goddesses, we’re
It’s no secret that there is a stigma attached to romance novels. They’re unrealistic, they’re cheesy, they’re silly, they’re cringe-worthy, they’re formulaic, they’re not ‘proper’ literature… these, and many more, accusations are levelled at romance books. For the reader, this means having to push through any sense of embarrassment or
‘Pride comes before a fall,’ we say. ‘Honesty is the best policy… and look before you leap.’ Have you ever considered where these little axioms of wisdom originated? The answer is: the stories of a man named Aesop who lived in Ancient Greece. I grew up with a governess who
Over the past couple of years in the UK, loneliness has become a topic for discussion. The Duke of Cambridge’s campaigning on mental health is bringing such social issues into the open. We’re worrying about elderly people who are too isolated and alone. But we’re also worrying about other groups
At the heart of every romance novel is a love story: two people meeting and falling in love. But of course, the unfolding of that love is never simple; ‘The course of true love never did run smooth,’ as Lysander put it in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The heroines and heroes
‘A room without books is like a body without a soul.’ So said the Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero. If a room without books lacks soul, imagine an entire home without books. To me, that’s a bleak vision. Empty. Lonely. How many books do you own? Books on shelves, in bookcases
One of my earliest memories is of a party at my home in Alexandria, Egypt. My younger sister and I hid on the upstairs landing and peeked through the balustrades at the guests as they arrived – in such exquisite, astonishing costumes! The kaleidoscope of colours, the incarnations of fantastical
When the nights are long and the days short, when sadness beckons and hope is hard to grasp, when spring seems a long time away… there’s always solace to be found in music.
In this long winter, we must contend with isolation, loneliness, feeling cutting off from community and friends. Could the answer be a book club?
It’s cold outside. Time to curl up and lose yourself in a good book – but where is your cosy corner?
New Year’s Eve is a cause for celebration in many cultures: the end of the old and the start of the new; a clean slate; a time of hope. What traditions do you follow?
Christmastime, for me, will always be inextricably linked with ballet. It was at this time of the year that my parents took my sister and me to our first ballet production: The Nutcracker.
Happy Christmas, dear reader! Wherever you are today, whatever you are doing, whoever you are spending time with – or missing – you are in my thoughts. I have made a Christmas wish for you.
Did you know that many of our Christmas traditions, and indeed the very spirit of the holiday, have their roots in a little novella published in 1843?
‘I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library,’ wrote Jorge Luis Borges. But, as John Lennon suggested, imagine that there is no heaven, no Paradise – no library…
Here’s the dilemma: You’ve written a smouldering, passionate romance novel. It’s set in 1970. Is it a historical romance novel, or is it too recent? Is it contemporary romance novel, or is it too much in the past?
‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know,’ sang Bing Crosby. But just why do we associate Christmas with snow, and how likely is snow on 25th December?
For me, Christmas is synonymous with a trip to the theatre – to watch a ballet, a play or a fun pantomime with the children. This year, sadly, the theatres are closed. But you can still see a wonderful London show…
What better Christmas gift than a book? Well, perhaps one that is also an object of beauty, an intricate and marvellously clever work of art…
It’s the first day of winter – the season of sparkling frosts and crystal skies and perfectly white snow. A time to find beauty and solace in nature.
I don’t think I ever set out to ‘be a writer’; I just knew from an early age that I wanted to create stories and write them down.
The Ancient Greeks defined ‘passion’ as ‘to be acted on’. Should we follow our passions, act on them – or should we tame them?
This ancient palace, which features in my novel Indiscretion, transports you to a time gone by…
Once upon a time, a fairy-tale book made the perfect Christmas gift…
Christmas is just around the corner! I’d love to treat you to a gift…
If, like me, you’re fascinated by the Ancient Egyptian civilisation, you’ll find the items in these museums absolute wonders.
Happy Thanksgiving to my readers in the US. What better day for us all to practise gratitude?
Should an author write the book they think they ought to write, or write the book their heart aches to write?
Pharaoh, pyramid, mummy, desert – which modern English words can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptian language?
‘Beauty sleeps on the calm dreamy bosom of the ocean, or lives in the dance of its wild waves.’ – Thomas Clark Henley, ‘Beauty’, 1851
‘In Flanders Fields, the poppies grow / Between the crosses, row on row…’
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