So many brave young people are fighting for their liberty at the moment, in Ukraine, in Iran and now in China. There was a time of protest with a real possibility of hope that occurred in China in 1979. The
In the ‘Appetiser’ to my memoir Food of Love: Cooking up a life across Gender, Class and Race, I include a photograph of an unusual sculpture being placed in a roof in Headington. I only give two pieces of advice
Yesterday I went to the UPP (Oxford) to watch Ravilious Drawn to War and recommend it to other Ravilious fans This mystical but down to earth artist went uncelebrated for far too long. When I first encountered his work in
My first book was not Oxford Castaways or a novel or poetry book but Oxfordshire Rambles, which was published by The Oxford Times - 10 circular walks devised by the late Jack and Margaret Ibbott. Jack and Margaret introduced
Weimin says ‘I spent an hour and a half in the print room to study Raphael’s original drawing. I tried to draw the same size as the original and I presume Raphael might have spent no more than 1.5 hours
While he was in Oxford, I was privileged to host the acclaimed Indian poet Sudeep Sen. He is in the UK to promote his latest anthology Anthropocene. It is endorsed by one of the world authors that I most admire-Amitav
A brilliant,compelling read. Shrenik Rao Editor of the Madras Courier Whether describing how students were ‘sent to the countryside’ or how, after Mao died, young artists hung their experimental work outside the national art gallery, Vetta is always
Shepherd.com is an easy to use well presented new site . Ben Fox it's creator asked me to make recommendations on this subject. https://shepherd.com/best-books/oxford-and-where-town-meets-gown Going with the theme .. here is Sculpting the Elephant: An Alternative Town and Gown Walking
Do you remember this? Radcliffe Observatory Quarter artist in residence, Weimin He, had 60 works of art on hoardings and my poem about the site was also on one. Tower of the Winds is a fabulous record of his six
Gill and I in the unventilated basement. Compare it with Maxwell's council house, Headington Hall https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000rtxv?f Good programme about Robert Maxwell who rented Headington Hall from Oxford City Council for £7,500 in 1978 http://www.headington.org.uk/history/listed_buildings/headhillhall.htm? Before we set up at the