Inspiring Older Readers
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Rereading M.R. James’s ghost stories posted on 16 Jan 2022
Guest writer, Alun Severn considers the storytelling skills of M.R. James and in the process thinks about how well he is served by television adaptations.
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The romance of a book signed by the author posted on 20 Dec 2021
Go to any shop or online website that specialises in ‘collectable’ books and you’ll quickly discover....
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Rereading WG Sebald’s Austerlitz posted on 14 Dec 2021
On the twentieth anniversary of the death of W.G. Sebald, guest reviewer, Alun Severn, rereads his last book and considers the writer's legacy.
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Rereading Herzog by Saul Bellow posted on 10 Oct 2021
Guest writer, Alun Severn returns to reading Saul Bellow "because his prose is glorious and ... funny."
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The Canterbury Tales – Modern or Middle? posted on 05 Oct 2021
I recently found a very fine two volume Folio Society 1961 edition of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales
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Darkness at Noon posted on 29 Sep 2021
Guest reviewer, Alun Severn considers whether a new translation of Koestler's classic provides a valuable new dimension or loses the immediacy of the origi
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Lemons and Violins: two books by Helena Attlee posted on 21 Sep 2021
Guest reviewer, Alun Severn takes on a double-hander from Helena Attlee: The Land Where Lemons Grow and her latest book, Lev’s Violin.
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Reconsidering Sam Selvon posted on 21 Jul 2021
Guest writer, Alun Severn considers Sam Selvon's best known novel and asks whether he sustains that success in the work that follows.
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The ‘lonely voice’ of the short story – rereading Frank O’Connor posted on 19 May 2021
Guest writer, Alun Severn considers the work of Frank O'Connor, a master of the short story.
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Edgar Wallace and the case of the Four Just Men posted on 29 Apr 2021
I recently listened to a Radio Four Extra programme in which crime novelist Mark Billingham reviewed the life and career of the prolific pulp...