“Becoming a Writer” by Dorothea Brande
This is a wonderfully lucid book. I would not hesitate to take writing advice from Dorothea Brande, for the simple reason that her own writing is so elegant…
Monday morning inspiration
Writing fiction is not “self-expression” or “therapy”. Novels are for readers, and writing them means the crafty, patient, selfless construction of effects.…
“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz
I quite liked this book. I think that, perhaps, if I had come upon it by chance in a neglected corner of…
“Bon Voyage, Mr President” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A short book of four short stories. I liked the main one, Bon Voyage Mr President. It’s quite a straightforward story, with…
Monday morning inspiration
Honour the miraculousness of the ordinary. Andrew Motion The Guardian, Feb 2010
Forecasting the future
The Society of Young Publishers hit on an interesting idea in a recent issue of its magazine inPrint. They dug up an old article from 1998, in which…
“Race and Racism in Britain” by John Solomos
I’m sure that for sociology students, this book is a very valuable text. It’s very methodical and thorough – it looks at…
Monday morning inspiration
Think with your senses as well as your brain. Andrew Motion The Guardian, Feb 2010