I share my thoughts on Norman Bissell’s fictionalised retelling of a crucial period in George Orwell’s life.
Politics
The Bitter Lemons of Bellapais
A visit to the 1950s Cypriot home of Lawrence Durrell.
THOUGHTS ON: Autumn (Seasonal #1)
Daniel is a century old. Elisabeth, born in 1984, has her eye on the future. The United Kingdom is in pieces, divided by a historic once-in-a-generation summer.
BOOK REVIEW: Green Almonds: Letters from Palestine
A glimpse into a complex situation through the eyes of a naive young woman who discovers a country, makes friends, falls in love and is confronted with the plight of the Palestinians.
BOOK REVIEW: Disbanded Kingdom
A 21st-century coming-of-age story, set against the emotive backdrop of the United Kingdom’s breakaway from the European Union and its threatened rupture with Scotland.
Three Things… #2
Reading. Looking. Thinking. This week it’s all about Moomins, a metal peacock and infuriating politicians.
BOOK REVIEW: Bottled Goods
Set in 1970s communist Romania, this novella-in-flash draws upon magic realism to weave a tale of everyday troubles in an authoritarian state.
BOOK REVIEW: Suffragette: The Battle for Equality
2018 marks a century since the first women won the vote in the United Kingdom, and this children’s book tells the story of their fight. ‘Suffragette’ is a tale of astounding bravery, ingenuity and strength.
BOOK REVIEW: Sylvia Pankhurst: Rebellious Suffragette
In honour of the centennial of women gaining the right to vote in the UK, we look at the life of someone who fought relentlessly to achieve it.
THOUGHTS ON: George Orwell: A Life in Letters
For almost forty years George Orwell wrote and received the letters collected here, which have been edited by Peter Davison.