I really want a shed. A big glamorous shed to write in. Regular followers of this blog will know that I write in the cellar, which is in fact a lined basement also doubling as a dining room and household store. Recently things have improved down there, with the addition of a whole wall of […]
Writing and Researching
In Other (1834) News…
I admit to becoming totally obsessed with the 1834 fire at Parliament over the last couple of years. Several diarists and commentators at the time also got fed up with the blanket coverage of the disaster, as this bad-tempered columnist indicates: “The newspapers have rioted and revel[l]ed in this fire so much, have dallied so […]
My New Year Reading Resolutions
I had a great haul of books in my Christmas stocking. Here’s a list of what I got from family and friends and will be reading over the next few months. Some of them are for general interest, some work, and some just for fun. First of all, I was given Mark Ormrod’s Edward III, one […]
The Good History Book Checklist
If you want to choose a great read this Christmas for you or someone else, here are my top tips for finding a good ‘un (and I’m talking here about non-fiction, not historical novels): 1) Check the biog of the author on the book jacket. How do they describe themselves? What’s their platform? Do they sound credible? When was […]
A Modest Proposal
So, while I’m waiting for the OUP copyeditor to contact me about deadlines for edits to The Day Parliament Burned Down, I’m working on mini-pitches to my agent Bill for the next book. Though we’ve discussed some ideas face to face, I’m a bit diffident doing this off the top of my head and feel […]
Gainful Employment
Here is a little bit more about my day job (quite a lot of people seem interested in this!) which – along with my colleagues – is a great source of inspiration, posted by the lovely Peter Hay on his blog. Also, you can view my contribution to Parliament Week on YouTube, where I talk about some of my favourite […]
