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An Elizabethan adventure - surely not? An Elizabethan adventure is something I would never write! In a previous post, I have said that I think the Tudors get too much attention in print and on screen. I have said I would like to write stories set in every era except...

William Shakespeare is in what sitcom? William Shakespeare is the central character in Upstart Crow  in which David Mitchel plays England's greatest writer of plays, poems and other stuff (?). William Shakespeare who is now portrayed in a sitcom! There are lots of...

Who was Marie Antoinette? Marie Antoinette was the queen of France, executed with her husband, King Louis XIV and their children in 1793 during the French Revolution. She was the daughter of the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. Most people tend to think of her as...

Americanisms crop up everywhere nowadays - why? Americanisms occur in English for many reasons. Global communication - American English dominates international business, technology, and academia. Therefore, if you use familiar American terms, it can improve clarity...

The Audiobook is another way to experience the novel The audiobook is not for everyone, but many prefer it to either a paperback or an e-book. I have written before about audiobooks generally and in particular the audio version of The Cowgirl Murders. That is...

Water is in the news Water is usually a boring subject, almost a non-subject. It's just there, isn't it? What's to talk abput, let alone get steamed up over? (Get the pun? Never mind). I've been amazed at the way it keeps getting into the news. There seem to be two...

Eastertide Facts are well known, aren't they? Eastertide facts include the well-known story of the betrayal, arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection. They also include facts about the common Easter traditions such as chocolate eggs and bunnies....

The Easter Story is coming! The Easter Story will be retold in churches and other places in the next week or so. If you think you have heard it all before, you might be tempted to switch off at the mention of it. That could be a mistake! Many people have only a vague...

The Mirror and the Light is the title of a book The Mirror and the Light is the enigmatic title of the third volume of the trilogy by Hilary Mantel about Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister. The series began with Wolf Hall about which I have posted already....

Welshness is hard to define Welshness  may be the degree to which you are Welsh or how Welsh others say you are. Are you Welsh just because you live or work in Wales? Some say you have to be born in Wales. Others insist you must have Welsh parents. Still others argue...

St Luke was a doctor, surely? St Luke was probably many things. The is evidence in his writing in the Acts of the Apostles as well as his gospel that he was a sailor, an artist and a man of letters. Perhaps not all at once. I have written about the gospels as history...

Hilary Mantel wrote historical novels Hilary Mantel was a successful writer and was popular with both critics and readers. I have written about my thoughts on the Wolf Hall series in a previous post. In that, I concentrated on the quality and style of Ms Mantel's...