As I wake to kiss you good-morning, Ilyse, I remember …the one-that-changed-the-world-even-if-the-world-didn’t-know-it-yet kiss, curbside with your hands on my hips curling to pull me tight, my palms cupping your face ...
I have a husband, Rupert and five children. Together they inspire me, sustain me, entertain me, love me. I love them. I am one of three girls. I am the ...
By Hilary Jacobs Hendel Tash was a busy woman engaged in building her career as a writer. She also valued having a large network of friends. In fact, having lots ...
I owe my debut novel to a neighbour’s snoring. It might seem strange (depending on your neighbours) to be so indebted to the vibrations of a stranger’s airways, but for ...
Write whenever you can, wherever you can – the great thing about writing is that you can do it anywhere. You don’t need a ton of space or fancy equipment, ...
I wrote my first 'book' aged around seven. It was about a magical cat and was written on rainbow-coloured A4 lined paper. I am utterly addicted to stationery. Pretty washi ...
The inspiration for my Hungarian immigrant detective comes from my grandmother, who emigrated from Hungary to America just before the First World War. She’d been told the streets were paved ...
Straw costumes with tall, conical hats pulled over faces. A colourful parade that winds through the streets, gathering people as it passes pubs and houses. The cheering crowd is in ...
It was, quite literally, just a little lie. One small word: “No.” When she thought about it now, all these months later, still unable to take in what had happened, ...
I’m more likely to send you a letter than to email you. Okay, that’s not quite true. But my phone is decidedly un-smart, I’m not on instagram or twitter, I’ve ...
When Kay Mellor made her return to television earlier this year with the debut of her brand new series Girlfriends, not everybody knew what to expect, but we all expected ...
My physical home is London, but my spiritual home is Cape Town, South Africa. I love London for its diversity, history, arts and my friends, but I crave Cape Town ...
THE GIFT WHICH KEEPS ON GIVING. There is a group of islands to the North of Scotland. It is separated from the mainland by a very spikey, spoilt brat of ...
No matter how far you’ve travelled down the wrong road, it’s never too late to turn your life around, writes James Carré-Rice, whose remarkable transformation from career criminal to bestselling ...
I moved to London in 1997 to make my fortune. I was absolutely determined to make this happen, but at the time it seemed almost impossible. I had nothing but ...
When I first heard the term “domestic thriller,” I thought it was in contrast to something like an international thriller. Instead, it’s intended to capture dark stories that unfold close ...
Scottish rockers The Violet Kind aren’t content with sticking within the usual boundaries of genre, and so hope to break down all of the pre-assigned walls that forge their way ...
Even if you have heard about mindfulness before you may still wonder what it is and exactly how it can benefit you. ‘Mindfulness’ was first introduced to the West in ...
My mother is a writer, too… She achieved her first publishing deal at 60! She writes beautiful love stories about romance in the over fifties. ‘Fifty Shades of Grey Hair!’ ...
I’m plagued with doubt about my ability to write because of being repeatedly told my grammar and punctuation were poor whilst at school. I actually cried when my editor said ...
Not so long ago, fame was earned through hard work and talent. Today, many celebrities are created by a 24/7 media hungry for ratings and happy to promote anyone who ...
Following the release of The Spain Quiz, a new cultural quiz book about all things Spain, author Ruta Czina shares the 10 fun facts that you should know about Spain: ...
I’ve read thousands of books over my lifetime most of which I’ve instantly forgotten because I have a terminal case of goldfish brain when it comes to remembering titles. The ...
I was born and brought up in a small village in Chernobyl region, where there is nothing but endless forest and endless railway tracks. There is absolutely nothing to do ...
