At times when politicians want to divide us, in my fiction, non-fiction and verse I want to celebrate our common humanity! Confluence brings together musicians, dancers and poets who have made their home in Oxford. Confluence invites diverse communities to
I love this video. https://www.facebook.com/WellRoundedLifebyattn/videos/672422466422857 It shows the stupidity of judging people by how they look. The wonderful Billy Jean King says 'We’d be better off as a society if we stopped assuming that people are the way we judge
I have been preparing for a talk I am giving tomorrow. I made this collage of some of my Oxtopian castaways who appear in the three castaway books. Some are famous and some not so well known but all are
Yesterday felt like the end of an era. Colin Dexter the inventor of Inspector Morse would have loved his memorial yesterday in Christ Church Cathedral and Oxford Town Hall. It was organised by his fellow crossword compiler and fellow castaway
I have just come from the funeral of Roger Bannister. It was a beautiful and moving service in St Mary the Virgin Church led by his daughter the Rev Charlotte Bannister Parker. I thought I knew a lot about him
Interesting episode of Endeavour on ITV tonight. It was set against real events in Oxford. I had the privilege of ‘casting away the former children’s laureate Michael Rosen and he told me this story…. In 1969, he became a graduate
Qu Leilei is a founder of the Stars Art Movement. When he told me his story it inspired me to write Brushstrokes in Time. Recording the trial of democracy leader Wei Jingsheng (1979) catapulted his life into nightmare. (again) He
Coming Soon to the Ashmolean. Qu Leilei: A Chinese Artist in Britain (7 Nov 2017 to 15 Apr 2018.) This exhibition and the accompanying book should establish his reputation as a great artist . Reviewing Everyone’s Life is an Epic in
The death was announced of Brian Aldiss in this way ‘Author of British Science Fiction classics Non-stop, Hothouse and Greybeard, Aldiss’s writing spanned genres and generations, bridging the gap between classic ‘science fiction’ and contemporary literature with his Helliconia Trilogy…’ When I sent him to
I have written mini biographies of 120 people for the Castaway Series in Oxfordshire Limited Edition magazine. Those features have been turned into 3 books in support of charities. At the Stratford Literary Festival last year I was asked to