RIP Brian Haw
Was saddened this week to hear of the death of peace activist Brian Haw. There are not too many people in these times who live completely honest lives.…
In conversation with Preeta Samarasan
I spoke recently with Malaysian writer Preeta Samarasan, and am posting the conversation up here for you to listen to. In part…
“Irma Voth” by Miriam Toews
I enjoyed this tale of a young Mennonite girl marooned on a claustrophobic family compound in rural Mexico. At 19 she has…
Questions for Preeta Samarasan?
I am interviewing Preeta Samarasan this week, author of Evening is the Whole Day. If there are any questions you’d like me…
“Tomorrow Pamplona” by Jan van Mersbergen
A road trip taken by two men across Europe to the bull-running at Pamplona. The set-up appealed to me: it’s quite similar…
Best reading/writing sites
Kinga at the Book Snob has a great post listing the 21 best sites about reading and writing. Along with well-known ones like Goodreads and London Review of…
Happy Birthday, Amnesty!
This weekend marks the 50th birthday of Amnesty International, an organisation I’ve been a member of since I was a teenager. It…
“Letter to D” by André Gorz
D is André Gorz’s 82-year-old, terminally ill wife, and this short book is a letter written to her about a year before…
“Death At Intervals” by Jose Saramago
I love the premise of this book. One day, in a particular country, people stop dying. They still get old, get sick,…