Memoir in all its variety.
My husband Dr Atam Vetta's PhD was published in Nature. It was on quantative genetics. He taught me that every human being is UNIQUE. That means we each have a unique story to tell. So how should you
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01, 2025
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12, 2024
What have Michael Rosen, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Professor Irene Tracey, Korky Paul, Paterson Joseph and me in common?
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 -
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11, 2024
Sanity in a Mad World? Memories of Colin Dexter and PD James.
Today I weep for Ukraine and the environment. I really don’t understand my fellow human beings. What a terrible confession for an author! Many young black men voted for a racist. Many ‘Latinos’ voted for a man who builds a
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05, 2024
Wow! Philip Pullman and I had the same response to questions.
It’s the wonderful Oxford Arts Week. On Tuesday, I was on a panel in Littlemore church exploring the creative process. This evening, I attended the annual Arts Week Forum which had a distinguished panel including Sir Philip Pullman. Imagine
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05, 2024
My epic story based on the Beijing Spring(1979). Evidence that Brushstrokes in Time is still selling
https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/proginfo/2024/17/the-invention-of I agree with Misha Glenny. It’s important. We need to know about the history of China. That was why I spent 6 years researching the Beijing Spring of 1979, the Stars Art Movement, the birth of the Democracy Movement
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05, 2024
Cosmic Cats: A World First for World Book Day? Connecting children across continents. Purrrfectly Pawsome
Cosmic Cats: A World First ? Charming feature on BBC South Today covering the school's launch . Click on the link below to see it. Here's how you buy a copy Cosmic Cats brings together stories written by children in
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05, 2024
Sir Roger Bannister a great Scientist, a great sportsman and a great human being
https://www.sylviavetta.co.uk/2018/03/23/some-of-my-memories-of-a-great-human-being-roger-bannister/ A series of commemorative events are taking place in Oxford to mark Sir Roger Bannister's breaking of the the four minute mile. Last night, I watched this film in Merton College where Roger was a student . It reminded
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03, 2024
Chris Patten – last night’s moving farewell Chancellor’s event and why I appreciate his generosity of spirit .
In February, Chris Patten announced that he will retire as Chancellor of Oxford University. https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-02-05-lord-patten-barnes-announces-his-retirement-chancellor-university-oxford So the Chancellor’s event last night was an interview with him. https://oxfordliteraryfestival.org/literature-events/2024/march-18/chancellors-lecture-from-china-to-the-middle-east-and-ukraine-a-world-in-turmoil I was moved for many reasons by last night's interview. He was
27
01, 2024
Sitting next to Agatha? Why did it take so long to put up a statue to her?
Sitting next to Agatha? Why did it take so long to put up a statue to her? It took Wallingford a long time to recognise the tourist pull of long term resident Agatha Christie. I wonder why? Is it because
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11, 2023
Oxford: Murder Capital of the World?
https://www.oxfordindiebookfair.co.uk/whats-on/ Avert Your Eyes.... At the Oxford Indie Book Fair on November 26, I have the delightful opportunity to discuss Oxford-murder capital of the world? Odd to link ‘delight’ to ‘murder’? Crime fiction is the most popular genre so,unless