Journalism: all current articles
Candia McWilliam, What to Look For in Winter
I do not know Candia McWilliam, though because her second husband was a neighbour of my parents in Italy, they went to her wedding and she came to mine. Yet we never met or talked, There is a story behind it which isn't mine to tell, but even if you knew none of the people in her memoir it's still one of the strangest and saddest autobiographies by an author I've ever read.
Gothic for Girls
The Gothic school of fiction has been enjoying a huge revival thanks in part to the success of Twilight. Here are a couple of alternatives, by authors who can actually write.
When it all goes au pair shaped
This feature was published in The Times on 11 August 2010. Because of the paywall, wou can't view it on-line unless you subscribe, so here it is.
Allison Pearson, I Think I Love You
Category: Book Reviews
05 July 2010
Allison Pearson's second novel took almost as long as my sixth to write, due to her own medical problems. She's someone I admire, and know very slightly, though not enough to feel embarrassed by her also apparently enjoying my own work. I never experienced the kind of hero-worship she describes for anyone (at least not anyone living) but it strikes me as an interesting and original theme.