Tag: fiction

The most underrated skill is that which creates poly-mytho-factive worlds using the skills of curation, collage and, sometimes, the best of scholarship. A first blog on the joy of beginning to read Edith Hall, ‘Medea: A Life’, taking as an example Medea’s plea to help from her goddess-mother, Eidyia.

October 2, 2026

What’s the most underrated life skill? View all responses The most underrated skill is that which creates poly-mytho-factive worlds using the skills of curation, collage and, sometimes, the best of scholarship. A first blog on the joy of beginning to read Edith Hall (2026) Medea: A Life, New Haven & London, Yale University Press, taking … More The most underrated skill is that which creates poly-mytho-factive worlds using the skills of curation, collage and, sometimes, the best of scholarship. A first blog on the joy of beginning to read Edith Hall, ‘Medea: A Life’, taking as an example Medea’s plea to help from her goddess-mother, Eidyia.

How can a drama about men and their relation to work take on, and does it need to, the belief of its central character that a ‘man who is not married is living an unnatural life.’[1] Some personal, and otherwise, reflection on reading Robert Tressell before seeing the Ensemble ’84 production of ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’: Part Two, being on homosocial groups and heterosexual marriage.

October 1, 2026

The genie grants you a wish. What is it? View all responses How can a drama about men and their relation to work take on, and does it need to, the belief of its central character that a ‘man who is not married is living an unnatural life.’[1] Some personal and otherwise reflection on reading … More How can a drama about men and their relation to work take on, and does it need to, the belief of its central character that a ‘man who is not married is living an unnatural life.’[1] Some personal, and otherwise, reflection on reading Robert Tressell before seeing the Ensemble ’84 production of ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’: Part Two, being on homosocial groups and heterosexual marriage.

How can a drama be created out of the fate of a boy who ‘acquired a knowledge of decorative painting and design, and graining and signwriting’ from the fag-end of a remnant of pre-capitalist values, and the sad shadows of that system that followed it. Some personal and otherwise reflection on reading Robert Tressell before seeing the Ensemble ’84 production of ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’: Part One,being ‘My Dad’.

September 30, 2026

What’s the most underrated life skill? View all responses How can a drama be created out of the fate of a boy who ‘acquired a knowledge of decorative painting and design, and graining and signwriting’ from the fag-end of a remnant of pre-capitalist values, and the sad shadows of that system that followed it. Some … More How can a drama be created out of the fate of a boy who ‘acquired a knowledge of decorative painting and design, and graining and signwriting’ from the fag-end of a remnant of pre-capitalist values, and the sad shadows of that system that followed it. Some personal and otherwise reflection on reading Robert Tressell before seeing the Ensemble ’84 production of ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’: Part One,being ‘My Dad’.

I am reading Tressell’s ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’. I have my idea for my business now!

September 26, 2026

If you could start a new business right now, what would it be? View all responses I am reading Tressell’s The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists at the moment in preparation for seeing a dramatisation of it at the Horden Playhouse next week by Ensemble 84. In it capitalism is called by Owen, the Socialist hero, as … More I am reading Tressell’s ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’. I have my idea for my business now!

As I said in an earlier blog, some books say we are already switching lives with a ‘fictional character’ in order to survive. The absolute best and most comprehensive writing of our time must ask, as Marlon James allows his characters to do, ‘Why am I writing this shit?’ Is it because our characters switch to fictional form so often? This is a blog on Marlon James (2026) ‘The Disappearers’.

September 18, 2026

As I said in an earlier blog, some books say we are already switching lives with a ‘fictional character’ in order to survive. The absolute best and most comprehensive writing of our time must ask, as Marlon James allows his characters to do, ‘Why am I writing this shit?’1 Is it because our characters switch … More As I said in an earlier blog, some books say we are already switching lives with a ‘fictional character’ in order to survive. The absolute best and most comprehensive writing of our time must ask, as Marlon James allows his characters to do, ‘Why am I writing this shit?’ Is it because our characters switch to fictional form so often? This is a blog on Marlon James (2026) ‘The Disappearers’.

Do I write what people actually want to read? The issue here is not whether writing can be called writing only because it is read by someone, even if only by yourself, but whether writing appeals to what those people,or person, think that they want.

September 16, 2026

There is, of course, an important and inalienable link being writing and reading, for nothing that is written isn’t from its inception being read, even if only by its writer who assesses as they proceed that the writing is satisfactory to them or its intended audience. The standards of reading judgement vary of course and … More Do I write what people actually want to read? The issue here is not whether writing can be called writing only because it is read by someone, even if only by yourself, but whether writing appeals to what those people,or person, think that they want.

Back to the Booker longlist with wishful predictions before shortlist on 22nd.

September 14, 2026

Do Booker winners become so for a reason? The 2026 Longlist came out on 28 July. Update. Daily writing prompt Do you think everything happens for a reason? View all responses Do Booker winners become so for a reason? The 2026 Longlist came out on 28 July. The shortlist is on 22nd September. THIS IS MY … More Back to the Booker longlist with wishful predictions before shortlist on 22nd.

‘Don’t get me into some philosophical bullshit about lie versus fiction. Fiction is creation. Lie is distortion. One don’t have a fucking thing to do with the other’. Words from Marlon James ‘The Disappearers’ (2026).

September 13, 2026

Sometimes our prompts invite us to validate a proposition that, to say the lest, is questionable and is, at the most a deliberate untruth. Look at this question, for instance: ‘If you had to switch lives with a fictional character for a week, who would you choose?’. It starts with a conditional phrase, ‘If you … More ‘Don’t get me into some philosophical bullshit about lie versus fiction. Fiction is creation. Lie is distortion. One don’t have a fucking thing to do with the other’. Words from Marlon James ‘The Disappearers’ (2026).

Although you never ever regret reading Colm Tóibín’s books, you may regret ‘The Bridge’ for raising the hope that ‘A Long Winter’ for his queer hero, Miquel (the finest of them all) never ends.

September 8, 2026

Colm Tóibín is a true writer of the heart but not from it, except in as much as hearts seem to beat on when there reasons for doing so, in the myth that the heart is the centre of emotional attachments or longing for such have not yet been initiated or have long gone. Later … More Although you never ever regret reading Colm Tóibín’s books, you may regret ‘The Bridge’ for raising the hope that ‘A Long Winter’ for his queer hero, Miquel (the finest of them all) never ends.

‘Be ready for the duplicity of adulthood and adults’ is my advice and it continues thus; ‘and if you can, learn how not to collude whilst you learn, as you must, to survive’. This blog is a reflection on the film ‘Bad Apples’ (2025) directed by Jonatan Etzler and starring the very wondrous Saoirse Ronan.

September 7, 2026

‘Be ready for the duplicity of adulthood and adults’ is my advice and it continues thus; ‘and if you can, learn how not to collude whilst you learn, as you must, to survive’. This blog is a reflection on the film ‘Bad Apples’ (2025) directed by Jonatan Etzler and starring the very wondrous Saoirse Ronan. … More ‘Be ready for the duplicity of adulthood and adults’ is my advice and it continues thus; ‘and if you can, learn how not to collude whilst you learn, as you must, to survive’. This blog is a reflection on the film ‘Bad Apples’ (2025) directed by Jonatan Etzler and starring the very wondrous Saoirse Ronan.

In Dean Atta’s first novel intended for adults, ‘Big Man’, the protagonist, Big, explains to new entrants to his profession of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) workers and consultants why he is doing the ‘job he is doing right now and why’, without mentioning salary: ‘Big told the twenty somethings he enjoyed being freelance because he was neither a boss nor an employee’. This blog is really about Dean Atta (2026) ‘Big Man’ London, Cipher Press.

September 5, 2026

If the salary was the same, what job would you be doing right now and why? In Dean Atta’s first novel intended for adults, ‘Big Man’, the protagonist, Big, explains to new entrants to his profession of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) workers and consultants why he is doing the ‘job he is doing right … More In Dean Atta’s first novel intended for adults, ‘Big Man’, the protagonist, Big, explains to new entrants to his profession of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) workers and consultants why he is doing the ‘job he is doing right now and why’, without mentioning salary: ‘Big told the twenty somethings he enjoyed being freelance because he was neither a boss nor an employee’. This blog is really about Dean Atta (2026) ‘Big Man’ London, Cipher Press.

‘Stop saying words, my sister whispered back. I want to hear the story’. This is a blog  on Ali Smith (2024) ‘Gliff ‘.

August 28, 2026

‘Stop saying words, my sister whispered back. I want to hear the story’.[1] The paradox may be that we express our identity in words and names not in the process of telling and hearing our stories. I think Ali Smith thinks that may be true of the configuration of sex/gender too. This is a blog  … More ‘Stop saying words, my sister whispered back. I want to hear the story’. This is a blog  on Ali Smith (2024) ‘Gliff ‘.