London

Articles

Chilling Out with Charles Dickens

It’s the borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, in southwest London, and it’s still a place for leisure and pleasure today. Walking round places in the borough associated with the author, it’s easy to imagine Dickens enjoying himself here.

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3 min
2.1K

The Year of Shakespeare: How to Celebrate the Bard in 2016

By Mary Kate Costigan Really, every year is the year of Shakespeare. But 2016 holds special importance, as it marks 400 years since his death. As such, there are celebrations…

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3 min
2.2K

In “Alive, Alive Oh!”, Diana Athill Remembers a Remarkable Life

By Mary Kate Costigan At 97 years old, Diana Athill has a lot of story to tell. Biographical details alone will tell you that those 97 years were significant; as…

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5 min
6.8K

Articles

I am Not an Original Groundling

By Michael Hartigan (From the Literary Traveler Archive) I am not an original Groundling. Nor could I ever be, what with widespread theatrical ambivalence, modern day health codes and a…

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10 min
4.8K

Tours

‘Week’ with Jane Austen: Jane Austen’s Hampshire & Heart of England

Destination: Hampshire, Heart of England, Cotswolds and Peak District Description: Homes, Gardens, Inspirations and film sites OK– so we’re taking a big of dramatic license as our tour is a…

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6 min
1.9K

Books

London By Literature

By Jamie Worcester The dust of ages swirls and falls, staining walls, darkening glass, coating surfaces, clogging lungs. Bricks, leaves, paper, food, bones and skin all decay, reduced to almost…

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7 min
2.5K

Articles

The New “Meant to Be”: An Interview with YA Author Lauren Morrill

By Amanda Festa I devoured Lauren Morrill’s debut young adult novel Meant to Be in one sitting. I was visiting my college roommate in Florida for her birthday and had a day…

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8 min
3.3K

Articles

Socialism and Green Spaces: William Morris’s Walthamstow

By Peter Turner ‘Have you ever wondered why there’s so much suffering in the world?’ asked the suited young man. ‘Please read one of the leaflets’, said his partner. ‘It…

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9 min
4.3K

Articles

JM Barrie and The Gardens of Imagination

By Paul Millward “On these magic shores children at play are for ever beaching their coracles. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf,…

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5 min
2.1K

Articles

The Literary and Luxurious Queen Mary 2

Bill Bryson, Joanne Harris. Would you ever expect to meet two world famous writers on a cruise of all places? I had the pleasure of meeting, interviewing and listening to lectures by both of them. I had the ultimate literary (and luxurious) experience aboard the Queen Mary 2 on an October transatlantic voyage.

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