it’s a reflection of the way i read — fast skim and skip x multiple reread — that i catch onto these i think: fragments in a book which exactly transport you to another, not for reasons of “hommage” (a word i dislike: it[…]

“an inch of hair that represents infinite evil”:
vanity fair’s rich cohen attempts to reclaim the “toothbrush”[…]

Rewards and Fairies was Rudyard Kipling’s follow-up to his extremely successful Puck Of Pook’s Hill, though it’s best-known now for containing Britain’s Best-Loved Poem, aka “If-“. My last encounter with that poem […]

So farewell then Alison Lapper. Your reign on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, annoying my Dad is to end. But you have been a tremendous presence there, reminding us of the power of statuary and the indomitable spirit of motherhood. But what, w[…]

Things most people know about European languages  – One – Spanish for ‘beer’ is ‘cerveza’. Two – English is not in the same language family as French and Spanish. When looking at other European words for beer it is appa[…]

The Shorter Oxford Dictionary has published its sixth edition, and as well as a lengthy revamp of the “pie” entry the new version boasts the usual compliment of moreish new words, some of which are detailed in this Time article. Why are […]

Agatha Christie’s “Evil Under The Sun” and Georges Simenon’s “Maigret And The Old Lady” have a few things in common: seasides, murder, and a lady whose intelligence and good company charms the detective even though[…]

I am a poor judge of whether or not a bit of PR work will lead to press coverage or not. Take the Agatha Christie comic adaptations story that’s been doing the rounds – this looks like a non-starter to me but everywhere has covered it. I […]

Via I Love Comics comes this link to a remarkable collection of pictures from a 1982 comics convention. It’s a parade of earnest men – mostly men – in polyester suits, from a time when even respectability was an aspirational dream f[…]

It Walks By Night was the very first book published by Dickson Carr, master of the locked room mystery. I didn’t know this while reading it, but it makes sense: the style is rambling and florid, it feels like a book by someone pleased to b[…]