Books make a home – and a bright future
‘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,
Category: In the news
Romance shines through in The Great American Read
Over the past six months, American readers have been voting for their favourite novels as part of The Great American Read. An advisory panel of
‘Up-lit’: a more hopeful era in literature?
Once upon a time, being an author meant reading a lot of books, writing some books, and perhaps doing a book signing or reading tour
15th October: when history skipped forward by ten days
On this day in history, the Roman poet Virgil was born (19 BC), as was the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844). Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier
Making more time in your life for reading
‘Have we ever had enough time to read?’ So began a recent article on the Literary Hub website, drawing on a book by Associate Professor
Should we read one book at a time – or several?
My bookshelves – and there are many of them, in my homes in France, Ireland and Kent – are filled with all kinds of books.
Drawing upon a rich legacy of storytelling
Recently, Italian author Elena Ferrante wrote an opinion piece entitled ‘I don’t have much faith in those who say, “Here is a truly new book”’. ‘There
The lyre: playing the music of Ancient Greece
If I could create a ‘booktrack’ for my new novel Aphrodite’s Tears (a musical soundtrack to which you listen while reading), it would feature prominently
On authors reading their own novels
In July, author Michael Ondaatje was awarded the ‘Golden’ Man Booker Prize, when his novel The English Patient was voted the most popular Man Booker Prize-winner
History unearthed: Olympia, Greece
The heroine of my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, is an archaeologist with a passion for ancient civilisations. I imagine she would have been thrilled to
Better the dream than the reality? On romantic heroes
‘Not a man, but a work of art…’ This is how Italian author Elena Ferrante described her latest screen crush in her Weekend column for
Do we need time and space to write – or should we write anyway?
Picture the scene. You have decided to write a novel. You take yourself off to a little cottage overlooking the sea. It’s quiet; there are
On keeping a diary – but keeping it private
The best piece of advice I was given as a child is this: If you want to be a writer, then write. It is obvious,
Whatever happened to courtship?
Recently, Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, took to Twitter to answer a fan’s question: ‘Is there a difference between a romance novel and
Facing the sunshine: why I write romance, not crime
A story reported widely in the British press last week caught my eye: ‘Crime pays,’ read the headline in the Telegraph; ‘thrillers and detective novels
The enduring wisdom of Jane Eyre
Recently, the editors at Bookish.com published an article compiling favourite romance novel heroines as chosen by romance authors (http://www.bookish.com/articles/favorite-romance-heroines/). The heroines in the list were
‘Finding your tribe’ (rather than robots) in bookstores
A recent news headline in The Bookseller caught my eye: ‘Bookshops staffed with robots to open in Beijing’. With a heavy heart, I clicked the
Books in the news: from the neglected to the treasured
‘Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.’ So said author Emilie Buchwald. Recently, though, it was reported in the press that just
Keep the Romance in romance
‘[T]he age of chivalry is on its way out.’ So opens a recent article published on the website of the Guardian newspaper. Of course, given
The adult imagination shaped by children’s stories
Recently, I read with interest a personal essay entitled ‘You can never go back: on loving children’s books as an adult’ published on the LitHub
10 facts you may not know about dictionaries
One of my hobbies is reading dictionaries; not cover to cover, because that would take an age, but dipping in and out. I love to
Romance novels: quality still counts amid quantity
While reading an article in the Irish Independent on romance novels, a quotation from author Kate Kerrigan caught my eye: ‘The people who are reading
Should the gender of an author matter?
Back in the nineteenth century, readers – men and women alike – began to discover and enjoy fiction by new novelists Currer Bell, Ellis Bell,
She’s the one: Five reasons I write in the third person
She’s the one: Five reasons I write in the third person ‘I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard
What am I reading? That’s private
‘Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.’ So wrote satirist P. J. O’Rourke. Of course, he was joking. We should
The feel-good factor of giving books
I love books. I love to browse books, choose books, purchase books, collect books – and, of course, read books! If, like me, you are
Are you addicted to love stories?
Ask yourself this: what would your life be like without love stories? No romance novels. No romantic TV series or movies. No daydreaming, even. How
Should a book cost more than a coffee?
Depending on where you are in the world, a café latte from a chain like Starbucks is likely to cost you in the region of
Burn, bin, donate, abandon: the sorry story of unloved books
I love books, absolutely love books. With that truth as constant as my heartbeat, I find it very difficult to conceive of getting rid of
Flamenco-inspired fashion – outlandish or fabulous?
Flamenco – the dance, the music, the culture, the artistic duende spirit – is at the heart of my novels Indiscretion, Masquerade and Legacy, which