7 05, 2026

Interviewing the castaways: the importance of asking open questions and then listening & lessons for would-be writers from Colin Dexter.

By |May 7th, 2026|Categories: Antiques, Biography, Chris Patten, Colin Dexter, David Attenborough, Events, Kenya, Kyoto Prize, Oxford, Oxford Castaways, Roger Bannister, The Oxford Times, The Stars ArtMovement|0 Comments

 Yesterday, I attended the Kyoto Prize lecture by Carol Gilligan. The psychologist  has shown how women in particular silence themselves and say what they think they should say rather than express their true experience and opinion. Here is her lecture.

18 01, 2025

The Water of Life: Bill Nighy, Victor Glynn and I

By |January 18th, 2025|Categories: Ashoka, Buddhism, Events, India, Kennington, Kenya, Lost History, Mixed relationships, Nalanda, Novels and short stories, Oxford, Oxford Castaways, The Bodleian library, The Stars ArtMovement|0 Comments

The Water of Life: Bill Nighy, Victor Glynn and I   Do you find that life is like water –rivers flowing alongside crossing, meeting and blending? Thursday was like that for me. The film producer Victor Glynn suggested I be

27 12, 2024

What have Michael Rosen, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Professor Irene Tracey, Korky Paul, Paterson Joseph and me in common?

By |December 27th, 2024|Categories: Ashoka, Buddhism, Events, India, Kennington, Kenya, Mixed relationships, Nalanda, Novels and short stories, Oxford, Oxford Castaways, The Bodleian library, The Oxford Times, The Stars ArtMovement|0 Comments

I love the Today programme during the Christmas period, when it has guest editors. Their choice of in depth subject matter is inspirational. First off was author and screenwriter, Frank Cottrell Boyce, on a subject dear to my heart -

18 06, 2024

Speaking Truth to Power is still Perilous.

By |June 18th, 2024|Categories: Biography, China, Art & History, History, India, Kenya, Madras Courier, Novels and short stories|0 Comments

https://madrascourier.com/opinion/writing-the-womans-life The online Indian newspaper, The Madras Courier has published an essay by Lupamudra Banerjee. It is a powerful and deeply personal invocation of women writers who wanted to break the chains. The timing of this feature is inspired by

28 02, 2023

I have been given a new label. It seems that I am a ‘Roundhead’ according to (Lord) Jonathan Sumption.

By |February 28th, 2023|Categories: Ashoka, China, Art & History, India, Kenya, Lost History, Oxford|0 Comments

Yesterday I attended the Pharos lecture at the Sheldonian theatre.  (Lord) Jonathan Sumption talked on the subject ‘The New Roundheads: Politics and the Misuse of History.’ At the end of his eloquent address, I knew that the label ‘roundhead’ applies