Fiction & Events
I guess most Bristolians are familiar with the Paintworks development, a small business enclave off the A4 which is home to a host of creative companies (including Tangent Books) and the popular Bocabar Restaurant. Having recently got wind of a couple of new arrivals from the world of photography (yes!) I decided it was time … Continue reading Bristol’s Photography Quarter: a well-kept secret?
Last week I mentioned a great new short fiction collection by L. M. Brown. The stories in Treading the Uneven Road are linked by a strong sense of place with some characters reappearing. In tone it reminded me of Donal Ryan’s The Spinning Heart. So here is Lorna, as promised, to tell us more about herself … Continue reading Interview with Lorna Brown
Now for something completely different! In January I joined two new groups, one writing-related (of which more later) and one for Bristol Bloggers which last night took me to the current Bristol Hippodrome production of the musical Kinky Boots. It proved to be not just a great night out but also a fascinating insight into … Continue reading Kinky Boots – a great night out in Bristol with #kinkybootsuk
I’ve probably said before somewhere that I find short story and flash fiction collections a difficult reading proposition, the exceptions being, as I am finding more and more, when the collection has a strong linking theme or overarching narrative. Recently two of these have come my way. And the colours match! What better reason to … Continue reading Two new fiction collections
This month I’ve unexpectedly stumbled on two novels featuring photography to add to my growing blog category ‘photography in fiction’. These writers are less well-known than Theroux or Boyd but there are points of similarity worth mentioning. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children which I was given as a gift, follows William Boyd’s idea in … Continue reading More Fiction and Photography (#PhotographyinFiction 3)
Like most Scots of his generation, D.O. Hill was a great fan of both Rabbie Burns and Sir Walter Scott. Several of his and Robert Adamson’s compositions recreated characters from Scott’s novels (like this one from The Antiquary) and he was an illustrator of both writers, spending quite some time in Ayrshire prior to publishing … Continue reading For Burns Night: D. O. Hill, Rabbie Burns and the Lass of Ballochmyle
Today I’m delighted to welcome again someone whom I first interviewed here when my blog was a mere babe in arms. Since then he has completed four (?) books that I can think of to my measley two. But the reason (or excuse) for his appearance today is publication of his very latest offering – … Continue reading The Truth about Archie and Pye by Jonathan Pinnock
