For the past few months, I have avoided revealing anything about myself on the gossip-central platform known as Twitter by posting quotes from writers about writing. Some are wise, a few are funny, some are quite frankly bonkers. The views can be from the classic (Flaubert) or the populist (Lee Child), the great (Philip Roth)… Continue reading Writers’ Rule No 1: no writer will agree about the rules
Read moreA reader whose opinions and judgement I respect has told me something which has niggled at the back of my brain for several days. These days, when reading a column or blog on-line, he said, he tended to scroll first of all down the page to the message-boards. It was the debate among readers which… Continue reading The rise and rise of the message-board
Read moreA rare literary treasure has just become available on eBay. From the pen of the great American author JD Salinger, who died last year and who famously gave up writing for the world in the 1950s, comes a note to his maid, Mary. It could be yours for $50,000. Dated 12 March 1989, the message… Continue reading The writer versus housework
Read moreThe scavengers who live off the scraps of celebrity scandal will be paying particular attention to the marriage of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin over the next few weeks. Not only are the couple blessed with talent, looks and success – provocation in itself – but she has just made a statement which has caused… Continue reading We can all learn from Gwyneth
Read moreThe Woodland Trust, with the author Tracy Chevalier, has come up with the rather brilliant idea of commissioning a collection of tales about trees from contemporary authors, and the result WHY WILLOWS WEEP has just been published. Tracy wrote about a silver birch story, Blake Morrison chose the chestnut, Ali Smith the Scots pine, Susan… Continue reading Why Elms Die Young (a fable)
Read moreMy latest Endpaper column for The Author touched upon the deadly menace of plagiarism, particularly when it is imagined… It was a casual enough enquiry, following the broadcast of a two-part radio programme. Who, I was asked online, had been my researcher for the programme? With a small touch of pride, I replied that all… Continue reading Authors, beware plagiarism (and paranoia)
Read moreBorn of an unlikely union between Toby Young and JK Rowling, a bizarre idea is now being taken quite seriously. It is that private education, of the traditional, preferably boarding-school type, represents a model of how modern education should be. First there were the jolly japes of Hogwarts. Now, with the launch of his West… Continue reading The public school myth of ‘character’
Read moreIt is, of course, possible, that the so-called “silly season”, which ends officially this weekend, is in fact rather serious. All but a few politicians – those exhibitionists for whom August represents a career opportunity – have given us a rest from their yakking. There is little on TV. Most people have gone on holiday,… Continue reading A career freakout is no bad thing
Read moreTo most people, Tottenham House, pictured in some of the newspapers, will look like just another crumbling stately home. For me, the sight of it – even from a distant aerial photograph – causes a distinct shudder. It was the place where I spent most of my life between the ages of seven and 12,… Continue reading The misery of being born into a title
Read moreFor the ‘Talking Trees’ column in the latest issue of Broadleaf, the magazine of that great organisation the Woodland Trust, I was asked to write about planting some trees in the corner of a field. Remembering my little arboreal adventure, I realised how important trees are to my daily life, past, present and future. Is… Continue reading Want to feel better? Plant a tree
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