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We’ve had a cultural run. The Philip Larkin Centre had a run-out for LGBT month here in Hull on Friday night. ‘Our Famous Five’  – five inspirational LGBT writers. Rob Clucas gace us Vita Sackville West and (new to me) … Continue reading →

Posted on February 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

Discovering Lawren Harris

Posted on December 30, 2011

On Christmas Day my niece told me how much she enjoyed Conor McPherson’s play The Veil at the National Theatre. One of the blogs that has been floating through my head was how much I did not enjoy it, and … Continue reading →

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Creative writing – from teaching to hacking it

Posted on December 21, 2011

That hoary question ‘can you teach creative writing?’ has always seemed daft to me. I’m a teacher and I write so of course I can put the two together.Writers redraft their work. We do that because we have acquired a sense … Continue reading →

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Watching Leicester City

Posted on December 4, 2011

My one web visit every day is to the Leicester City page in the Leicester Mercury. When live matches come up on TV I wander between local pubs and only twice has anyone bothered to show them, when I’ve sat … Continue reading →

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Jung on Hitler

Posted on November 22, 2011

Jung on Hitler in 1937: Hitler ‘is a medium, German policy is not made; it is revealed through Hitler. He is a mouthpiece of the Gods of old…’ There was me, thinking Jung was some disassociated voice from neutral Switzerland … Continue reading →

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Weinberg’s THE PASSENGER – opera and Auschwitz

Posted on October 23, 2011

So it’s Saturday night, let’s head out to an Auschwitz Opera! As entertainment goes, it’s not an easy sell. The ENO shut down their top two tiers last night so we were directed to the best seats in the Dress … Continue reading →

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The Beverley Festival

Posted on October 10, 2011

I’ve enjoyed a couple of stints at the Beverley Festival this year – just a trot up the road now I’ve got an old car. Thursday saw me welcome Ross Raisin to the stage. His new novel WATERLINE has a … Continue reading →

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Snapping Turtles in London

Posted on September 12, 2011

Lunchtime was a quick spin out of my Clapton home and around the River Lee … checking in with these London turtles along the way.

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Animal totems and writing

Posted on September 8, 2011

I’ve often found solace in the animal world. In Scotland, as I set down my pen on finishing a novel, I heard a noise on the wooden patio outside and looked up to find a pine marten standing erect, looking … Continue reading →

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The Booker Shortlist Shindig

Posted on September 7, 2011

A separate avenue leads down through London’s Hyde Park to the Orangerie at Kensington Palace, the venue for yesterday’s party celebrating the Man Booker Prize shortlist. I held back from grabbing the mike and singing ‘It Should have been Me!” … Continue reading →

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