The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes continue....

Following another action packed series, the BBC have announced that 'Sherlock' will return for a third installment. Starring Bernard Cumberbatch in the main role, the series has been praised by both critics and audiences alike, with viewing figures of 10.7 million for its first episode.

Its creator, Stephen Moffat, had been coy when asked about a possible return, telling the BBC that there was 'no guarantee we'll be bringing him back'. Yet following the series' conclusion, 'The Reichenbach Falls' last night, Moffat wrote on Twitter, 'Of course there's going to be a third series - it was commissioned at the same time as the second. Gotcha!' The commission echoes Conan Doyle's own ressurection of the character who had supposedly been killed off after toppling off the Reichenbach Falls with Moriarty in 'The Final Problem'. Dates of filming and broadcasting have yet to be announced.

On This Day...

Antonio de Nebrija presented the first Spanish grammar book to Queen Isabella I in 1492. Since compared to names such as Erasmus, de Nebrija, who later latinized his name to 'Aelius Antonius Nebrissensis', had dedicated his life to furthering classical education is his native land.

His 'Gramatica de la lengua castellena', which was the first book to study the rules of a Western European language other than Latin, was split into four books: Orthography, Prosody and syllables, Etymology and diction, and Syntax. A fifth book aided those learning Castillian as a foreign language.

Upon presenting the book to the queen, she is said to have asked, 'Why would I want a work like this? I already know the language.' Nebrija reportedly answered, 'Majesty, the language is the instrument of the empire'

A Christmas Extravaganza...

With the last mince pie eaten, the decorations taken down, and the return of work looming, one could be forgiven for experiencing a dose of the post-Christmas blues. The new year however, entices optimism. On a personal level; resolutions, new opportunities, reunions and family. On a literary level; award ceremonies, new releases, anniversaries and enjoyment.

If trying to reconcile the two is proving a seemingly impossible task, why not ease your way in by catching up with some of the tv literary highlights from over the holidays? From enthralling 'Great Expectations' to the more light-hearted 'The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff', from the much loved 'Chronicles of Narnia' to the biopic 'Becoming Jane', there are hours of entertainment available. Suggestions and links for these and many more are located on the right hand side of this blog. Enjoy!

Cats marauding as ghost pirates, what more do you want?...

Yesterday saw 'Cats Ahoy!' being honoured as the lastest recipient of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. The rhyming picture book, written by Peter Bently, was named the funniest book for children aged six and under and was articulately summised by chair of the judges Michael Rosen, 'Cats marauding as ghost pirates to steal fishy bounty from lily-livered humans: what more do you want from a funny book?'. Bently was honoured alongside Liz Pichon, whose book 'The Brilliant World of Tom Gates', a 'must for anyone who doodles, likes to wind up their sibling, has a serious caramel wafer habit and enjoys having their chuckle muscles exercised', won in the 7-14 category. Both were awarded prizes of £2,500.

On This Day..

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas died in 1953 at the age of 39. The child of an English master and seamstress, Thomas was born in Swansea only months after the outbreak of the First World War. Despite his Welsh heritage, Thomas was brought up to speak only English, and continued to use the anglicised form of his name throughout his life. An ill child, and undistinguished student, Thomas spent his time keeping poetry notebooks and between the years of 1930 and 1934, accumulated over 200 entries which would later form over half of his published works.

Sadly it is Thomas' blighted personal life that seems to so often overshadow the remarkableness of his poetry. Having married a dancer in 1937, Thomas was considered to weak to serve in World War Two, instead writing scripts for the government. Indeed the immediate post war period was one of literary success, with the emergence two of his best known works, 'Deaths and Entrances', and 1953 radio play 'Under the Milkwood'. However, by now a committed alcoholic, Thomas soon took a turn for the worst. Whilst in New York to take part in his play, Thomas suffered black outs, turned blue and slipped into a coma, before finally dying of pneumonia. Despite his tragic and early death, Thomas is still celebrated as one of the nation's best loved poets.

Anger at Anonymous..

Yesterday saw William Shakespeare's name being removed from sign all around Warwickshire, the county of Startford-upon-Avon. One might think this a work done by vandals, or perhaps even vehement Marlowe fans, but it was in fact an act carried out by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust as a campaign against new film 'Anonymous'. Premiering yesterday, and starring Rafe Spall, Rhys Ifans and Vanessa Redgrave, the film is just the newest medium by which people are seeking to put forward the argument that the man we know as Shakespeare was merely a 'barely literate frontman for the Earl of Oxford'.

Thus, in a backlash against this attempt to 'rewrite English culture and history', the Trust has put in place a campaign by which 9 road signs and 10 pub signs are being taped over, as well as a sheet being placed over a memorial in Stratford-upon-Avon itself. The trust said, 'Today's activity barely scratches the surface, but we hope it will remind people of the enormous legacy we owe to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon'. The film 'Anonymous' is in cinemas from October 28th.

On this day...

English monarch Alfred the Great died in 899 at the approximate age of 50. The only English royal to be attributed with such an epithet, Alfred is renowned for his miltary achievements, not least the protection of his Anglo-Saxon kingdom from the Vikings. Yet what is perhaps less well known about the youngest son of Æthelwulf of Wessex, is his penchant for learning. Inspired by Charlemange, Alfred created a court school, not only to educate his own children, but also, countering the perception of aristocratic snobbery, to educate those of lesser birth who showed intellectual potential. Indeed, after only a short time, 'they were seen to be devoted and intelligent students of the liberal arts'.

If the younger generation were embarking on a process of learning, it also made sense for Alfred to cement that of the elder, and so he ensured that literacy became a requirement for those holding a position of authority, especially in religious capacities. The king chose to lead this charge on education himself, beginning a Alfredian programme of translation of books into English that he deemed 'most necessary for all men to know'. These works included Gregory the Great's 'Pastoral Care', Boethius's 'Consolation of Philosophy', St. Augustine's 'Soliloquies', and the first fifty psalms of the Psalter.

Will it be a barnstorming performance?...

The king of all literature prizes is upon us once again. With the winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize to be announced later this evening, it seems an appropriate time to remind ourselves of the contenders. The 'odds on favourite' position lies with Julian Barnes, a four time previous nominee, for his work 'The Sense of an Ending'. Yet he faces fierce competition from Carol Birch, Patrick deWitt, Esi Edugyan, Stephen Kelman and AD Miller, the other five authors to make the shortlist. Here, you can watch the nominees reading extracts from their own novels. Make sure you tune in to catch the winner.

UPDATE: Julian Barnes has been announced as the 2011 Man Booker Prize winner

On this day...

The University of Heidelburg was officially opened in 1386. The oldest univeristy in Germany, and only the third established in the Holy Roman Empire, Heidelburg has many things to boast of. Not least is its alumni, whose numbers include 30 Nobel Laureates, German Chancellors, and even a Pope. However, for those of a literary persuasion, there are also several notable associations. Perhaps the most decorated is Nobel Laureate Carl Spittler who was rewarded 'in special appreciation of his epic, "Olympian Spring"'.

Yet despite his success amongst critics and academics, Spittler is by no means thebest known inhabitant of the medieval walls. Mark Twain, who visited the univeristy as part of his European tour in 1878, detailed his impression in the travelogue 'A Tramp Abroad', humorously depicting a student body of aristocratic dandies. Such was the popularity of the American writer, that a US Army base in the city now bears his name. The university also plays fictional host to W. Somerset Maugham's Philip Carey in his novel 'Of Human Bondage' and, perhaps more famously, appears on screen in the Oscar winning adaptation of Bernard Schlink's 'The Reader'.

Jane or Joanne?...

It seems unoriginal to begin another awed tribute to the Hary Potter phenomenon, whose last installment has taken £104 million in its opening weekend in the US and Canada. Instead, across the Atlantic, another famous female British writer was proving that endurance of time is the real test.

Almost 194 years after her death, a rare Jane Austen manuscript has sold for £993, 250. 'The Watsons', an unfinished novel complete with revisions and crossings out, was originally owned privately, yet is now in the hands of the Bodleian Library, who beat off competition from New York's Morgan Library. Having secured money from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Bodleian say that they are 'delighted' to have bought 'such a valuable part of our literary heritage'.

Austen may be worth 105 times less than Potter today, but until Rowling influences 200 years' worth of readers, she won't hold the same place in literary hearts as the beloved Jane.

On this day...

Famous Italian poet and 'Father of Humanism' Francesco Petrarca, or Petrarch, died in 1374 at the age of 69. Born in Tuscany, Petrarch spent much of his early childhood in Florence before leaving with his family to Avignon to follow the flourishing papacy of Pope Clement V. There, much against his wishes he was schooled in the practice of law - a profession he could only escape from upon the death of his parents. Instead he pursued his love of classical literature, creating his own Latin epic 'Africa', and his disdain for the ignorance of the intervening centuries led Petrarch to be credited with creating the concept of the 'Dark Ages'.

Although he fulfilled many roles throughout the rest of his life - scholar, diplomat, priest - Petrarch is best known for his poetry, in particular, that devoted to Laura. The identity of the woman is unknown, yet she has become famous world over as the original Petrarchan ideal, which writers such as Sidney and Shakespeare have since incorporated in their own works. 'Il Canzoniere', or 'The Songbook', mainly written in sonnet form, alongside 'Secretum' and 'Itinerarium', Petrarch's guide to the Holy Land, have ensured his place among the greatest and most influential of the world's writers.

Ordinary people, extraordinary writing...

The time has come for the Guardian First Book Award to appear again, yet this time it has a different dimension. The honour for debut writers has traditionally been chosen by expert panellists, who narrow entries down to a longlist, shortlist, and finally a winner. However, this year, for the first time, the full catalogue of submissions have been released online. The 136 entries from publishers include the 2011 Orange Prize winner Tea Obreht, yet the Guardian believes that the public might know better. At the end of this month, the 10th title of the longlist will be announced, chosen by ordinary people, but hopefully uncovering extraordinary writing.

On this day...

English poet John Keats visited the home of another famous composer of verse, Robert Burns in 1818. During a summer walking tour in the North Country, whilst traversing 20 or 30 miles a day, Keats came to the family home of the Scottish Bard in Alloway.

The 'Ploughman Poet', who had died 24 years previously, has since been lauded as a founder of the Romantic movement, and influenced not only Keats himself, but also his contempories, such as Percy Bysshe Shelley and William Wordsworth. It was here that Keats composed his sonnet, 'Written in the Cottage Where Burns Was Born' - a poem most notable for its premonitory first line, 'this mortal body of a thousand days'. Keats died 43 days short of this number.

Tennis in texts...

Wimbledon may have come to an end, but the sport of strawberries and cream remains all year round in literature. Indeed, from Betjemin poetry, to Shakespeare's histories, racquets pervade countless pages. Here is a quiz about tennis in texts.

On this day...

Irish playwright, poet and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan died in 1816, at the age of 64. Born in Dublin to parents both active in the theatre business, Sheridan moved to England at the age of seven and attended the independent Harrow School. The most significant event of his early life however, was not of literary importance, rather, it was two duels fought against Captain Matthews, who had defamed Sheridan's wife-to-be in a newspaper article.

Having barely escaped with his life, Sheridan set up a house in London and began writing for the stage, opening with the play, 'The Rivals'. Although a failure on its first performance, a change of actor ensured that its second was an immediate success, and following another profitable composition, 'The Duenna', Sheridan was able to buy complete ownership of the Drury Lane Theatre. It was there that some of his most famous plays, such as 'The School for Scandal' and 'The Critic', made their debut. At the same time, Sheridan was vigourously engaging in parliamentary work, yet things cam to a head in 1809, when his theatre burnt down. Three years later, he failed to gain re-election after 32 years, and he died in poverty after contracting an illness. Sheridan is buried in Poets' Corner.

Magic turns digital...

J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has long been a well-thumbed favourite on book shelves across the globe. Yet the popular wizarding tales are now going to be available to a new audience. Rowling has announced that the seven novels will be launched as e-books in September, alongside digital audio books to ensure subsequent generations will continue to be captivated by the magical world of Hogwarts.

The release will coincide with the launch of Pottermore, a site dedicated to the boy wizard which will provide users with an immersive interactive experience. Fans will be able to, amongst others things, choose a wand in Diagon Alley, travel to school on the Hogwart's Express, and be sorted into houses. Yet perhaps most exciting for Harry Potter's loyal following, is the announcement that Rowling herself will be posting new material online that she has been 'hoarding for years'. 'This is such a great way to give something back to the fans who made Harry Potter such a huge success', said Rowling.

On this day...

German author Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, better known as simply E. T. A. Hoffmann, died in 1822 at the age of 46. His father was a successful barrister, yet by Hoffmann's second birthday, his parents had separated and he was later to regret his paternal estrangement. Instead, he lived with his mother in Königsberg and was educated by his two aunts and uncle until his enrollment in a local school. Despite displaying a great talent for the arts from a young age, he was held back by his rural setting and took it upon himself to read Göthe and Rosseau, as well as attending lectures by Kant.

The next few years were spent travelling around Prussia in various capacities, trying his hand both at composing and drawing, before being exiled due to some controversial caricatures. A victim of the Napoleonic wars, Hoffmann was forced to return to Berlin, now married, and it was here that his literary career began in earnest, finding success with 'Ritter Gluck'. Yet finding daily work was becoming increasingly difficult, and with failing health, mainly attributed to alcohol abuse and syphilis, he left theatre management to become a jurist. It was to be his last job. Remembered as a pioneer of the fantasy genre, Hoffmann is best known for his work 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King', on which the ballet is based, and his influence on later authors such as Edgar Allan Poe.

Heroines and Feminists...

From a medieval damsel in distress to a contemporary figure of striking independence, the woman has seen a marked transformation in literature. Following International Women's Week, the Guardian has released a podcast, debating the place of the woman in modern writing. 'Heroines and Feminists' can be heard here

On this day...

Lithuanian book smuggler Jurgis Bielinis was born in 1846. 1864 heralded the start of the Lithuanian press ban, during which all Lithuanian language books published in the Latin alphabet were forbidden by the ruling Russian Empire. Tsarist authorities hoped that this measure, part of a larger Russification plan, would decrease Polish influence on Lithuanians and would return them to what were considered their ancient historical ties with Russia.

However, Bielinis showed resistance, taking it upon himself to form the Knygnešiai society - the largest contemporary book smuggling organisation. Nicknamed 'The King of the Book Carriers', Bielinis was actively sought by the authorities, who promised a large monetary reward for his capture after he had escaped their guards at least five times. During the 31 years of his activity, it is estimated that he and his society illegally brought about half of all Lithuanian books from East Prussia into the Lithuanian mainland during the entire press ban. Bielinis died in 1918 at the age of 71.

The KJV: influencing the centuries....

This year sees the 400th anniversary of one of the world's greatest literary achievements. Whilst for some that may immediately conjure up images of Shakespeare or John Donne, it is, in fact, the work of King James, and his now eponymous publication of the Bible. The third English translation, the work required 47 scholars of Hebrew and Ancient Greek and took 7 years to complete, eventually selling for 10 shillings a copy. Only recently usurped by the more more NIV and Message translations, the KJV has inspired centuries of Christians, encouraging them to delve into the word and making their gospel more accessible to others. In a series of recent BBC documentaries, the makings and influence of this masterpiece have been explored. 'The King James Bible: The Book that Changed the World' can be seen here.

On This Day...

German writer Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse was born in 1830. The son of Felix Mendelssohn's tutor, and a Prussian court jeweller descendant, Heyse was born into a family already heavily connected with the artistic world. Thus he soon befriended names such as Theodor Fontane and Emanuel Geibel, joining the literary group Tunnel über der Spree, before publishing his first poem, 'Frühlingsanfang', in 1848. Although settled on becoming a writer, Heyse's hopes were initially short-lived, as he was discovered to have been conducting an affair with the wife of a university professor and was sent back to Berlin in disgrace.

Yet it was in Munich that his literary revival was secured. Granted an audience with the King of Bavaria, Heyse presented his verse tales, 'Hemen', and preceeded to become known as one of the Nordlichten, establishing his own literary society, Die Krokodile. He continued to write prolifically and his work was recognised in 1910, when he received the Nobel Prize for Litertaure as 'a tribute to the consumate artistry, permeated with idealism, which he has demonstrated during his long productive career as a lyric poet, dramatist, novelist and writer of world-renowned short stories'. Hysee died in 1914, at the age of 84.

£1,600 library fine...

It has travelled with a naval commander to Hong Kong and Australia, but this week a rare library book has found itself back home in Wallington thirty years on. A 1928 volume of Samuel Pepys' Diary, part of a set worth an estimated £200, was taken out in 1981 by former Royal Australian Navy Commander Ron Robb to help his daughter with a school project. Yet shortly afterwards he returned back home from his posting in London, and did not rediscover the book until recently, when he was in the process of moving house.

Although, at the current rate Mr. Robb would face an overdue fine of more than £1,600, local Councillor Graham Tope has waived it and is just pleased to have the book returned, 'We've had the odd overdue library book, but 30 years must be a record..it's great that this valuable book has been returned to complete the set, particularly as they have been part of the library for so long'. The book is now back with the other volumes of the edition in Wallington Library's Mallison Room.

On This Day...

English author Thomas Malory died in 1471, at the age of approximately 66. The compiler of 'Le Morte d'Arthur', Malory translated the Arthurian romance tales of the King, Guinevere and Lancelot from French prose into eight books of Middle English verse, providing the basis for later literary works such as T.H. White's 'The Once and Future King', and Tennyson's 'The Idylls of the King'. Yet despite a lasting literary legacy, much uncertainty surrounds the man himself.

At least six Thomas Malorys were alive at the time of the books writing, and from those, three main theories have emerged as to the identity of the author. Firstly, it was proposed by John Bale, that Malory was Welsh, hailing from Maloria and related to the poet Edward Rhys Maelor. The second alias is that of Thomas Malory of Papworth St. Agnes - a respected, yet average, country gentlemen. Yet it is to the turn that most scholars look, Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revel. A soldier and politician in the early years of his life, Sir Thomas turned to thievery, rape and kidnapping, serving time in both Marshalsea and Newgate Prisons. The most popular claimant, it is this Thomas Malory who died 540 years ago.

On this day...

Romantic poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy moved into Dove Cottage in 1799. The previous autumn had seen the pair in Germany, along with fellow poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. One of his many trips to Europe, Wordsworth was reportedly homesick and thus it was in 1799 that he moved back to the Lake District - the region in which he grew up. His work at this time comprised of 'The Lucy Poems', a series of five poems later included in his 'Lyrical Ballads' collection. Living near Coleridge and Robert Southey, the trio became collectively known as the 'Lake Poets'.

Christmas Carols...

To celebrate Christmas, Carol Ann Duffy has release a new collection. 'The Manchester Carols', modernising and changing the traditional favourites is a collaborative work with Sasha Johnson Manning, performed by the National Chamber Orchestra. Here is a podcast of the Poet Laureate and other potential literary Christmas presents.

On this day...

English playwright John Fletcher was baptised in 1579. The son of a cleric, who later became chaplain to Queen Elizabeth, Fletcher was a child prodigy and entered Cambridge University at the age of 11. Despite this start, little is known of Fletcher throughout his education until he reappeared as a writer for the Children of the Queen's Revels, and a performer at Blackfriars Theatre.

Fletcher's best known works are as a collaborator, especially with Francis Beaumont, such as 'The Maid's Tragedy' and 'Philaster'. So close was their relationship, that they were purported to live in the same house, share each other's clothes and even had 'one wench in the house between them'. Their partnership ended with Beaumont's marriage in 1613, and Fletcher's illness in the same year. Subsequently he became a more firm fixture with the King's Men, collaborating with Shakespeare on 'Henry VIII' and 'The Two Noble Kinsmen'. Fletcher continued to write for the company as a solo playwright after Shakespeare's death, returning to collaboration shortly before his own. One of the most important dramatists of the era, Fletcher died in 1625, at the age of 45.

The name's Bond, and the price is also...

A rare first edition of Ian Fleming's 'Casino Royale' has fetched £19,000 at auction. Fleming's first James Bond novel, the 1953 copy sold for £4,000 more than expected, and £13,000 more than another of Fleming's Bond books, 'Live and Let Die'. The selling price was only £3,000 less than the highest price for a Bond first edition - coming in closely behind a signed copy of 'From Russia with Love'.

On this day...

Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' was sold by the 'Moscow News' in 1867. The now famous literary work was listed thus; 'War and Peace. By Count Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy. Four volumes (80 sheets). Price: 7 rubles. Weight parcel post: 5 pounds. The first three volumes delivered with a coupon for the fourth'. It seems strange the the novel was so lightly offloaded, considering that that the book was 'five years of unremitting and singleminded labour,' something 'not simply imagined by [Tolstoy] but torn out of [his] cringing entrails'. However, these efforts were soon rewarded when the novel became known as Tolstoy's masterpiece.

Libraries in literature...

Some are tucked away in the cobbled streets of villages, others stand as magnificent structures in grand public squares, and some even take to the road, traversing the English countryside. Libraries exist in every community, but they also exist in many of the fictional works they stock. Here is a quiz on their place in literature

On this day...

American crime fiction writer Kenneth Millar, better known by pseudonym Ross Macdonald, was born in 1915. By the time he was 16, having been abandoned by his father, and moved around the country to stay with various relatives, Macdonald had gained enough experience of broken relationships and domestic troubles for them to become a prominent theme in his later writings.

Tragedy also struck later in his life, when Macdonald sadly lost his daughter Linda in 1970. Excluding a brief period in which he was involved in the war as a naval communications officer, Macdonald produced a steady stream of great novels, including his famous Lew Archer series. Inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald among others, he is said to be the heir to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler as the master of the American hardboiled mysteries.