Real History vs Historical Fiction
May I indulge in a moment of shameless namedropping? I am a friend of Dominic Sandbrook, the historian and commentator, who, together with Tom Holland,
May I indulge in a moment of shameless namedropping? I am a friend of Dominic Sandbrook, the historian and commentator, who, together with Tom Holland,
by Mus Coombs Decades ago, during my childhood, I vividly recall seeing weathered women, their skin deeply tanned by the sun, carrying heavy woven baskets
by Annie Dawid, Author of Paradise Undone, A Novel of Jonestown “A master at creating alternate realities, Jones continually fed his followers a steady diet
Michelle de Kretser’s Theory & Practice (buy your copy here) is a novel with a difference. Virginia Woolf wanted to write a novel which included
Interview by Kate de Meillon A large part of the inspiration for Lost in the Garden comes from my 1980s childhood growing up in deepest
Tan Twan Eng is a Malaysian writer who splits his time between South Africa and Malaysia. The Gift of Rain is a very absorbing novel, set in
When you’ve spent your entire life drawing, becoming a commissioned artist is highly likely. Although I work mostly in marketing and business development, my extensive
Three Gifts is both heartfelt and funny. Which authors have influenced you when writing tragic and comedic scenes, and how do you balance these different tones?
By Kate de Meillon 1) You’ve written a great novel, could you briefly explain to a potential reader what it is about? It’s about a
This very atmospheric book is a spin-off of one of Mandel’s earlier novels, The Sea of Tranquillity, in which a minor character, Vincent, (female, btw)
By Charlotte Harris Some say you should always read for pleasure (and they’re right), but there’s another, much shallower, reason to get reading – and
Last year I read about fifty books – and the vast majority of them were just fine. As my mother would say, they kept me
The 10th of November 2024 will mark Remembrance Sunday, a day to commemorate those who have lost their lives to war. During remembrance ceremonies, you’ll
I used to belong to a writing group that met once a week at Chipping Norton Theatre. The group contained some unbelievably talented writers. Ann
by Charlotte Harris The last week of September marks Banned Books Week, an event first launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in
I had the privilege of being interviewed by Deirdre for her fantastic YouTube channel, Bookaholic. Check out https://www.youtube.com/@TrueBookaholic. As soon as my interview is posted,
by Charlotte Harris The Most Heartbreaking Line of Dialogue Ever Written : How Arthur Miller’s Death of A Salesman Reveals the Human Tragedy of Late Capitalism Over
The central story in Richard Vaughan-Davies’s book Fireweed concerns Adam, a young British military lawyer posted to Hamburg in 1947, who falls in love with
The French have a delightful expression: ‘Il pleut comme une vache qui pisse,’ which perfectly describes the conditions of a July day earlier this year,
Seven years before my mother was born, my grandfather, Robert Deans, took a job in the Transvaal on a farm which belonged to a doctor’s
Many siblings have a long-established rivalry, but my brother and I get along famously, probably because we balance each other out. He’s competitive; I couldn’t
Dear Teenage Me, Why, oh why won’t you keep a diary? Your memory never gets any better, you know. Who cares if anyone reads it? At
The setting of a book is sometimes so powerful that it assumes a persona, becoming a character in its own right. Think of Dickens’s London
Many writers are terribly worried, to the point of paranoia, that their ideas will be stolen. My eldest stepdaughter, Kitty, is also a writer, and whenever
Welcome to the Inkspot blog. My name is Thea, and I’m the Inkspot Publishing Assistant Intern. I’ve been with Inkspot for about two months, and
