Writer / Woodcarver / Tree-whisperer
I recently had the opportunity to interview Mandy Haggith. Wikipedia says, ‘Mandy Haggith is an author, poet, and environmental activist.’ Mandy says, ‘I am a writer based in Assynt, in the north-west highlands of Scotland. My work includes poetry, fiction and non-fiction. My writing is mostly concerned with trees, bears and the sea, and I… Continue reading Interview With Mandy Haggith
Do We Need Escapist Fiction? You don’t have to be a Houdini-type to escape reality. In the 21st century, we are inundated with distractions and entertainment to divert us from and numb us to the harsher realities of global capitalism and its consequences. Most are inconsequential fripperies quickly forgotten once “consumed”. What about Escapist Fiction?
Or "What Have Euphemisms Ever Done For Us?" (Euphemism: “The substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.” Dictionary.com) I love the English language and the multitude of ways it can be used creatively to communicate, entertain and enrich our lives. There’s no denying I can… Continue reading Tell it How it is?
I don’t remember my parents reading me bedtime stories, although my mother once assured me she did. Neither of them read a great deal. My father had a poor education and restricted his reading to the newspaper and the occasional cowboy novella. My mother, when she had time and inclination, liked popular historical fiction like… Continue reading How I Became Hooked on Reading
Art: “The expression or application of creative skill and imagination [...] producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.” Oxford English Dictionary Creative people enrich our lives in so many ways, through their writing, music, paintings, sculptures, crafts, performance, fashion and films. Could you imagine life without them? Government funding notwithstanding,… Continue reading Do you want there to be art in the world?
For many years I viewed non-fiction books as boring. They contained no stories! At school and during my first time as an undergraduate, teachers and lecturers used textbooks in an attempt to force facts past my disinclined young mind. After dropping out of university I freed myself from the shackles of textbook ownership, apart from… Continue reading Discovering Non-Fiction Books
I am honoured and delighted that multi award-winning author, Joanne Harris, took time from her busy life and agreed to my request for an interview. Biography Joanne Harris (OBE, FRSL) was born of a French mother and an English father. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Cambridge and was a teacher for fifteen years,… Continue reading Interview With Joanne Harris
Geoff King 