Monthly Archives

October 2011

Author Interviews

Phillipa Gregory: “To combine the truth of an historical record with the truth that can be told in a novel is, I think a great challenge and a great pleasure”.

Philippa Gregory – English novelist, broadcaster and newspaper reviewer, was born 9th January 1954 in Kenya (a bit far from the UK we know!) Her family moved to England when she was two years old. As a young adult, Philippa attended the University of Sussex, and afterwards worked with BBC radio for two years, until going on to study for her doctorate in 17th-century literature at the University of Edinburgh. Continue Reading

Celebrity Interviews

Dr Christian Jessen: It always shocks me that I still get asked questions such as “Can you get HIV from kissing?”, or “Is it true that if you have sex standing up you won’t get pregnant?”

Dr Christian Jessen is the presenter of ‘Embarrassing Illnesses’, ‘Supersize Vs Superskinny’ (check out the book of this published 2008), ‘Embarrassing Bodies’ and ‘The Ugly Face of Beauty’. He graduated in 2000 from University College London, having trained in general medicine, infectious disease, travel medicine and sexual health/HIV. Throughout his career, Dr Jessen has lived in Kenya and Uganda where he taught in schools and also researched malaria and HIV interactions in children. Continue Reading

Author Interviews

Mark Billingham: “I don’t really attempt to convey any message…The story has to come first”

Born and raised in Birmingham, Mark Billingham did not choose just one career path, he’s currently on several! Originally working for some years as an actor, Mark then became known as a TV writer and stand-up comedian in 1987. Since then he has been a guest on over 30 TV and radio shows, and played at every comedy club in the UK, still often performing at the Comedy Store in London. Continue Reading

General Chatter

William Shakespeare: In defence of a national treasure

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

Later this month, German-born film director Ronald Emmerich will release his latest and most controversial offering: Anonymous, a historical drama which brings the authorship of William Shakespeare’s plays into question. There’s plenty of books on the subject too: try Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare by James Shapiro. This is not a new theory, but the movie has once again fuelled the debate as to who wrote the legendary plays. Continue Reading