Dasgupta’s SOLO: A Spectacular Literary Symphony with Jazz Riffs on a 20th Century Life
A blind Bulgarian chemist sits alone in his flat, sweltering in the Sofia summer heat. As he approaches his 100th birthday, his still sighted mind’s eye inevitably ranges over a 20th century that brought constant revolution, both to him and to Bulgaria. He is Ulrich,
Happy 90th Birthday Uncle John
This is a post I wrote 4 years ago on the occasion of John Stott’s 86th Birthday. Quite a lot has changed since – not least the fact that he has moved into a retirement/care home in Sussex, and is not really able to move around now. But with this milestone, it seemed entirely appropriate […]
15 questions to ask of popular history
Having come up with a couple of other similar lists for Lars Dahle’s online culture project (20 Questions for Novels & 12 Questions for Albums), here is the latest, on one of my personal passions: history writing. Popular history books are big business. Which means that lots of people must be reading them… Which means they […]
Crosses on Black Combe, over Whicham, Cumbria
We all went for a trek in the fells above Whicham today and while we were up there, a local farmer had placed these 3 crosses on the ridge – when we got down to the bottom, we noticed that there was a sign on the Church gate announcing today’s installation of the Whicham Crosses […]
Ambleside Views, Lake District
We’re in the Lakes for a few days’ break, staying with friends. Yesterday we went for a walk above Ambleside, overlooking Lake Windermere. Spectacular.
The joys of Ugandan English
Not quite sure how I came across this wonderful Wiki page – but for any who have ever lived or visited Uganda, or East Africa generally for that matter, it is a treasure trove. Definitely worth printing out as a precautionary measure to keep in your back pocket. Which reminded me of some things we wrote in […]
Canning’s Riddle
George Canningwas Foreign Secretary, and briefly Prime Minister. But he is also credited with this little work of genius (which is perhaps one of his most lasting legacies). A Riddle There is a word of plural number A foe to peace and tranquil slumber. Now any word you chance to take By adding “S”, you […]
Le Carré on writing: a narrative masterclass
Having quoted a rather light-hearted bit from this excellent compilation of interviews, I’ve been reflecting on some of the things John Le Carré has said over the years about how he goes about his work, especially because of his insights into how and why narrative works (which thus helps us to engage with narratives of any […]
How churches argued when “men were men” & other mediaeval nuggets
Ian Mortimer’s Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England is a lot of a fun. It’s a very refreshing take the social history of a time and place, offered in the guise of a Michelin guide to the 14th Century. This is not to say that it is tr ivialising or populist in the worst sense. […]
Anonymous common sense as an antidote to the doom-merchants
People often say that everything is getting worse and worse. Well here is a handy doggerel retort to have up your sleeve… Going To The Dogs My granddad, viewing earth’s worn cogs, Said things were going to the dogs; His granddad in his house of logs, Said things were going to the dogs; His granddad […]
Sorry to burst your bubble… welcome to our twittering present…
This has done the rounds a bit – but I love it… it speaks for itself… Have tried to trace its origins and give credit where it’s due – but have been unsuccessful so far. If you know, let me know…
A birdseye’s view of revelation (general and special)
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been involved in a course considering precisely what the Bible is. In order to do this, we have had to examine what it means for God to reveal himself (if he is there, and if he does, that is). This was my overview of the different aspects of the […]
