22
03, 2016
19
02, 2016
How I became an expert on tea (in China!)
The history of tea is not quite the peaceful story one would expect. In the C19th, it was an almost fanatically sought after commodity but British and Indian companies wanted to trade opium in exchange. 'The Ibis Trilogy' by Amitav
4
02, 2016
Exclusive Chinese New Year feature : Qu Leilei one of the founders of the Stars Art Movement which changed Chinese art forever!
A coup for Chinese New Year! Exclusive interview for Oxfordshire Limited Edition with one of the founders of the Stars Art movement the courageous Qu Leilei. Ai Weiwei, Ma Desheng, Wang Keping and Li Shuang are among his fellow Stars.
2
01, 2016
Talking about Brushstrokes in Time and Oxfordshire Limited Edition on Local TV
Chatting with Eve Ahmed and Linora Lawrence on That’s TV’‘s Talk Oxford. As well as talking about Brushstrokes in Time, we promoted our friend Gina Clay’s lovely and useful book 'Don't let them tell you how to Grieve' which I
2
01, 2016
News from Oxtopia: Eminent entomologist names rare butterfly ‘Sylvia Vetta’, a message from Brian Aldiss and an inspirational project led by Charlotte Bannister Parker.
As well as inviting local castaways to the launch of Brushstrokes in Time on February 2 at Blackwell’s in Oxford @ 6.45pm (free but booking preferable.) I inquired about life on Oxtopia. This was TV naturalist Dr George McGavin’ssurprising reply. “I
20
12, 2015
Here is the cover of Brushstrokes in Time. The book is almost ready to go to print!
I've just received the front and back cover of Brushstrokes in Time and I'm feeling rather emotional. 10 years in the making and it really is happening! Claret Press are being brave in publishing my novel set in China and
2
10, 2015
Brushstrokes in Time
Brushstrokes in Time OLE I am grateful to editor Tim Metcalfe for commissioning this feature titled Brushstrokes in Time after my novel which Claret Press will publish in early 2016. Its origin was extended interviews with the artist Qu Leilei.
27
07, 2015
A portrait of an epic life: my profile of Star’s Art Movement founder Qu Leilei. Fellow Stars artist Ai Weiwei is coming to the RA!
Remembering interviewing one of the five founders of The Stars Art Movement (Beijing 1979), Qu Leilei. My first profile of him was published in The Oxford Times on June 24 2005.
10
07, 2015
Celebrate Children’s Creativity!
I remember going to the Dora Marr sale of work by Picasso and being struck by the childlike quality of quite a large proportion of it. I am impressed by children’s art when it is spontaneous. In September Oxfordshire Limited Edition,
7
07, 2015
The power of love is at the heart of the story of Icolyn Smith
Often the people who are the most generous are not wealthy in terms of money. Icolyn is one of those. Born to a subsistence farmer in rural Jamaica she came to Oxford in 1965. Empathy was all she had when she started