Australian legends get stamp of approval....

Australian literary legends are to become the latest figures to be immortalised in stamp form. The writers featured include Booker Prize winner Peter Carey, and Bryce Courtenay, author of 'Power in One'. Arguably the most famous of the 'Australian Legends of the Written Word' series, is Thomas Keneally, author of 'Schindler's Ark'. He commented that the honour 'reminds you of all the teachers who said "you'll never go anywhere, son"', adding  that he was 'glad they are self-adhesive because it prevents jokes about licking their backside'. Tim Winton, Coleen McCullough and David Malouf are also recognised for 'their outstanding contribution to the social and cultural life' of Australia.

On this day...

English author Eric Blair, better known by pseudonym George Orwell, died in 1950, at the age of 46. Born in India, where his father work in the Opium Department of the Indian Civil Service, he moved to England with his mother when he was one year old. There, inspired by his childhood friend Jacintha Buddicom, he began to write poetry, telling her that he would write a book similiar in style to that of H.G.Wells' 'A Modern Utopia'. Orwell obtained a scholarship to Eton and thrived on his studies there, yet without the sufficient funds for university, he was forced to choose a new career path; the Indian Imperial Police. After a posting in Burma, Orwell decided to become a full time writer and returned home. So started of period of his life during which he explored both England and abroad, using his experiences of poverty to influence his works, much like one of his literary heroes, Jack London. Serving as part of the Home Guard during World War Two, Orwell's works became of an increasingly political and socialist nature. The latter perhaps epitomised by his description of Dickens as, 'a nineteenth-century liberal...a type hated with equal hatred by all the smelly little orthodoxies which are now contending for our souls'. Orwell's best known works include 'Animal Farm' and the influential 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'.

Love Story comes to an end...

Erich Segal, died on Sunday at the age of 72. The author, who had suffered from Parkinson's disease for many years, had a heart attack at his London home. Segal will be best known for his work 'Love Story', which he wrote while a Classics professor at Yale University. Becoming a New York Times bestseller, the novel was the topselling work of fiction for 1970 in the United States, and has been translated in 33 languages. Complete with tag line, 'Love means never having to say you're sorry', the book was turned into a Oscar winning film of the same name, starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw. Segal also wrote the screenplay for The Beatles' 'Yellow Submarine'. In a eulogy delivered at his funeral, his daughter said; 'That he fought to breathe, fought to live, every second of the last 30 years of illness with such mind-blowing obduracy, is a testament to the core of who he was, a blind obsessionality that saw him pursue his teaching, his writing, his running and my mother, with just the same tenacity'.

On this day...

English art and social critic John Ruskin died in 1900, at the age of 80. Ruskin showed an aptitude for writing from a young age, and by 15 he was contributing to several well known publications, including the 'Magazine of Natural History', and the 'Architectural Magazine'; the latter  under the pen name κατα φυσιν - 'according to nature'. Donning another pen name, of 'A Oxford Graduate', Ruskin published the first of his important works, 'Modern Painters', in which he argued the value of contemporary landscape painters such as Turner, over those of the post-Renaissance period. Yet perhaps he is more well known for his connections to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood; supporting Rossetti, Hunt and Millais, until the latter married his wife, who had been granted divorce on account of impotency on Ruskin's part. Ruskin then changed his focus from art, to social theory. Greatly inspired by friend and critic Thomas Carlyle, he started to explore capitalism and its downfalls, influencing the development of both the Labour Party, and Christian Socialism. Ruskin was, as Tolstoy describes him, 'one of those rare men who think with their heart' and he has left a lasting legacy, even including the addition of the term pathetic fallacy to the language.

Philip's talent no Gross exaggeration...

The latest winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry has been announced. Philip Gross beat off competition from Sinead Morrissey and Hugo Williams to succeed Jen Hadfield as the 2009 winner. He was honoured for 'The Water Table', a collection inspired by the Bristol Channel, and one which judging panel chair Simon Armitage said showed 'great clarity and concentration'. The award, founded in 1993 to celebrate the Poetry Book Society and its founder T.S. Eliot, comes with a monetary prize of £15,000; the largest sum awarded in poetry.

On this day...

American author and poet Edgar Allan Poe was born. The second child of actress Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins, Poe was said to have been named after a character in Shakespeare's 'King Lear'; his brother William and sister Rosalie lending weight to such a theory. Orphaned by the age of three, he was taken in by successful Scottish merchant John Allan. The relationship, however, was fractious, and when Poe attended the University of Virginia in 1826, arguments over Poe's gambling debts meant that he soon dropped out. For the next few years, Poe led a nomadic life, picking up small work wherever he could find; yet finding this insufficient, he enlisted in the U.S. army, rising to Sergeant Major for Artillery. During this time Poe had been publishing small books of poetry, notably 'Tamerlane', but he soon turned to short stories and article writing, proving highly successful as a 'most discriminating, philosophical, and fearless' literary critic. The death of his wife, aged 13 at the time of marriage, had a profound impact on Poe, and propelled him further to heavy drinking and more macabre works. Writing in both the detective and gothic genres, Poe's best known works include 'The Raven' and 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. He died in 1849, at the age of 40, in mysterious circumstances, having been found lying incoherent on the streets of Baltimore.

All the men and women merely players....

Booking is now open for the Royal Shakespeare Company's summer season. The productions at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, include 'King Lear', 'Anthony and Cleopatra' and 'Romeo and Juliet'. The latter is directed by Rupert Goold, who credits includes recent stage shows 'Enron' and 'Oliver!' and stars Mariah Gale, who recently appeared as Ophelia in the BBC's 'Hamlet'. Starting in February and ending in September, tickets for what's sure to be another spectacular season, can be purchased here

On this day...

British author A.A. Milne, was born in 1882. With the full name of Alan Alexander, Milne was privileged enough to enjoy an excellent education, being able to count none other than H.G. Wells among his teachers. After finishing a mathematics degree, Milne began a literary career in earnest, starting with contributions to satircal magazine 'Punch', of which he was later assisstant editor. The First World War brought an enforced break in his writing, as Milne joined the British army, serving as both an officer and later in electronic warfare. Upon resuming, Milne turned his hand to plays, of which he wrote 18, and novels, yet his best and most famous works ocuured after  1920, for it was then that his son, Christopher Robin, was born. His son's birth was followed four years later by Milne's poetry collection 'When We Were Very Young'  and then by the vastly popular 'Winnie the Pooh' series. Based on his son and his collection of stuffed animals, Winnie the Pooh and his friends have become some of the most enduring and loveable characters in children's literature. Milne died in 1956 at the age of 74, supposedly annoyed at the success of the books.

How to Book Good Naked...

Channel 4 is relaunching 'The TV Book Club', with the first episode due to air tomorrow. The programme was first seen as part of Richard and Judy's daytime show, yet now boasts its own broadcast slot and a ten-part series. Its presenters, or at least two of them, are equally high profile. Comic Jo Brand and fashion guru Gok Wan, as well as Dave Spikey, Laila Ross and Nathaniel Parker spend each week reviewing a new title, from authors such as Sarah Waters and Nick Hornby. Each episode also features a celebrity interview and a look back at previous Book Club members who have now created their own literary success; Kate Mosse and Cecelia Ahearn to name but two. 'The TV Book Club' airs on More4, on Sunday at 7:30 p.m., and is repeated on Monday on Channel 4 at 12:05 p.m. The latest episode can be seen here

On this day...

Miguel de Cervantes' 'Don Quixote' is first thought to have been published in Madrid in 1605. Although many aspects are disputed, right through from the date of publication to even the authorship, it is widely regarded as the first modern novel in Western culture, and the finest work in the Spainish literary canon. The novel, which Fyodor Dostoyevsky described as 'the ultimate and most sublime work of human thinking', belongs to the picaresque genre; depicting the tale of a rougish hero with satirical wit. The idea of ''Don Quixote' has translated into other areas of modern culture. Recently voted 'The Greatest Book of All Time' by the Nobel Institute, it is referenced several other important works, including 'The Three Musketeers', and 'The Pickwick Papers'. The novel also contains many 'firsts'; a woman complaining of her menopause, someone with an eating disorder, and the coined phrase 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating'. Even ingrained in the English language, it is responsible for adjective 'quixotic'; the desire to perform acts of chivalry in a radically impractical manner.

Stars in their eyes...

It's a genre which has quite literally taken us on a journey through the stars. From the Victorian books, H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, to the modern day films of both 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek', science fiction has occupied a special place in many people's hearts, and is looking as strong as ever. But what lies ahead for 2010? Is science fiction being slowly eroded by the popularity of other genres? All these questions and more are dicussed by Claire Armitstead and her panel in a Guardian podcast which can be found here

On this day...

British historian, Edward Gibbon, died in 1794 at the age of 56. Although a sickly and weak child, Gibbon showed himself to be a voracious reader from a young age; so much so, that he was sent to Oxford University at the age of 15. Yet, perhaps unusually for such a great academic, he found it the 'most idle and unprofitable' time of his life. Instead, under the tutelage of a pastor, he journeyed to Switzerland and began to write, namely about his foreign experiences. Upon his return to England, he published his first book 'Essai sur l'Étude de la Littérature', yet his flowering literary career was, for the time being, to be cut short by his enrolement and subsequent service in the military, for 3 years. It was but one year later, that he visited Rome and so conceived his 'magnus opus', 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'; its six volumes now regarded for the quality of primary source usage as well as its prose. The achievement, for which Gibbon received over £1000 at the first publication, has led to him being called the first modern historian of Ancient Rome.

Children's book sales not fading into Twilight...

Divide opinion they may, but Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight' saga has boosted sales of children's books all across the board. Figures show that despite the book market as a whole falling by 0.5%, children's books were up by 4.9%. The total number stands at approximately 60 million books in the children's genre being sold last year, equalling £293 million worth of revenue. Children's Laureate Anthony Browne was rightly pleased with the results, adding; 'the best picture books leave a tantalising gap between the pictures and the words, a gap that is filled by the reader's imagination'. Although this year, the top five bestselling children's books are all from Meyer's vampire series, old classics remain popular, with Eric Carle's 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' a staunch favourite.

On this day...

French actor and playwright Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known by pen name Moliere, was born in 1622. Born into a wealthy family, Moliere attended College de Clermont, widely regarded as one of the most demanding schools in the French system, and so set himself up for a position in office. Yet at the age of 21, he decided to forgo his social standing, and instead pursue a career in theatre; founding 'L'Illustre Theatre' and so creating a new troupe of actors. After twelve years and several failed companies, Moliere finally found success; obtaining the patronage of Philippe I, Duke of Orleans and brother of Louis XIV, subsequently earning the title 'The King's Troupe'. Throughout his acting career, his own particular penchant for tragedy was displaced by his increasing comic ability, and indeed his most famous works are those of a farcical nature. Among his best known dramas, are 'The Misanthrope', currently on stage starring Keira Knightley, and 'Tartuffe'. A film biopic, released in 2007, can be seen here

Desperate times call for Desperate Measures...

The nine name shortlist for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize has been revealed. Yet, the list seems void of the unusual fun-loving fiction, and instead contains novels with themes of 'real-life drama'. Offerings include a Lucy Christopher work on a girl's dying father, a Suzanne LaFleur book on orphancy and the favourite, Laura Summers' 'Desparate Measures' about childhood disability. Summers, BAFTA nominated writer of television series' 'The Story of Tracy Beaker' and 'The New Worst Witch', will join the other member of the 'spectular shortlist' on February 10th, for the announcement of the £5,000 prize winnner.

On this day...

English writer Charles Lutwig Dodgson, better known by pseudonym Lewis Carroll, died in 1898. Perhaps unusually for an author, Carroll was first an extremely proficient mathematician. Having attended Rugby school, he gained an Oxford place, and went on to achieve a first class honours and subsequent professorship. Shortly after, Carroll's work started to appear in national publications. Mostly of a humourous nature, it was printed in magazines ranging from 'The Comic Times' to 'The Oxford Critic'. It was from this that Carroll launched himself fully in art, becoming immersed in numerous forms, from literature itself, to photography and even inventions; an early variety of Scrabble has been attributed to his name. He also mixed with the preminent artistic crowd of the day, becoming friends with critic John Ruskin, and Dante Rossetti, John Everet Millais and William Hunter of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Yet, of course his favourite medium was writing and he contributed significantly to the genres of fantasy and children's literature. As a writer of prose, he will be best remembered for the frequently adapted 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', yet as a poet, his most famous contribution was the nonsensical work, 'The Jabberwocky'.

Androids invade the world of Leo Tolstoy...

Quirk Classics, producers of 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies', is set to release a new title. 'Andriod Karenina', based on the famous 'Anna Karenina' by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, will be revamped to include 'a steampunk-inspired world of robotic butlers, clumsy automatons, and rudimentary mechanical devices'. The book will be co-authored by Ben Winters, who also wrote the 2009 release of 'Sense and Sensibilty and Sea Monsters'. This announcement follows close on the heels of the decision to produce a film version of the first title, which is confirmed to star Star Wars leading lady Natalie Portman. 'Murder at Mansfield Park' will also be released in the coming year.

On this day...

Irish writer James Joyce, died in 1941 at the age of 58. Offered a place at a Jesuit college, Joyce was meant to join the Order, but rejected Catholicism at the age of 16; a decision reflected in several of his novels. Instead he enrolled at University College Dublin, becoming heavily involved in the literary scene and producing his first piece of published work; a review of Ibsen's drama for which he received a note of thanks from the man himself. Yet his experiences over the subsequent years were far from savoury. The death of Joyce's mother induced a serious bout of drinking which never truly abated until his death, and by 1904, he was living in self-imposed exile with former chambermaid Nora Barnacle. Upon moving back to Dublin eight years later, Joyce attempted to supplement his income through several schemes, thought to include the trading of Irish tweeds, and plans to become a cinema tycoon. Yet ultimately Joyce found that his only solace, and real monetary reward, lay in the writing for which he had a remarkable talent. Considered alongside Virginia Woolf as one of the foremost modernist writers, Joyce's most famous works include 'Dubliners' and 'Ulysses'; the latter enduring a censorship for obscenity, to become one of the best known books of the 20th century.

If music be the food of love, play on...

A highly praised adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' is currently showing in London for a limited season only. The RSC production, starrring acclaimed stage and film actor Richard Wilson, James Fleet, and many of the company's regulars, is directed by Gregory Doran, whose previous successes include the Tennant-filled award-winning 'Hamlet'. The production is showing at the Duke of York's Theatre until February 27th. Tickets can be bought here

On this day...

Jack London, American novelist, was born in 1876. Born to a astrologist father, whose story could easily fill its own novel, and a mother who believed she could channel the spirit of an Indian chief, London's early life and adolescence was plagued with inconsistency, and indeed he landed in jail for a month on account of vagrancy. The next few years contained many experiences which would find their way into his later writings. Living as, alternatly, a hobo, sailor and goldminer, London contracted scurvy and was left with several disfigurements as well as a socialist sympathy. Thought to be one of the first American authors to have a profitable career solely from writing payments, London's real breakthrough into the literary market came with 'The Call of the Wild', for which the publishers paid him three cents per word. A century on, the adventure thriller, along with fellow adventure novel 'The Sea Wolf', remained highly popular novels, both inspiring numerous adaptations on both sides of the Atalntic. London endured several accusations of plagiarism during his lifetime, many of which appeared legitimate complaints. He died prematurely in 1916 at the age of 40.

London calling...

 

London has always played its part in literature, be it a muse or home to the writer. Due to its thriving Elizabethan theatre scene, both William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson called London their home and perhaps used elements of their surroundings to inspire some of their best known works. Yet it is surely for the Victorian Era that London is best remembered; sentimentalised and degraded often in the same breath. From Dickens, truly synonymous with the city, to Conan Doyle's 'Sherlock Holmes' and Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', London has endured many and varied representations, which can only add to its unique character. A quiz about London and its literary connotations can be found here

On this day...

English novelist Thomas Hardy died in 1928, at the age of 87. Born in Dorchester, or what he might term Casterbridge,  Hardy showed great academic potential at a young age, yet was denied higher education due to a lack of familial wealth. Instead he gained an apprenticeship as an architect, winning prizes from institutions such as the Royal Institute of British Architects.Yet five years later, with his health in decline, he decided to concentrate solely on his writings, beginning one of the most successful literary careers in British history. The works that followed have become almost synonymous with tradegy; striking a curious mix of Hardy's agnosticism and consequential beliefs in fate, with his beloved countryside and fictional county of 'Wessex'. After the popularity of 'Far From the Madding Crowd' and 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' came the scandal that surrounded 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' and 'Jude the Obscure'; the latter's reception resulting in his withdrawal from prose writing. His subsequent poetry, was much influenced by his first wife Emma Gifford, whose rocky relationship was apparently negated and forgotten with her death. Portraying social concepts beyond his era, he influenced later writers D.H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf.

Lark Rise to Candleford: My one weakness...

Tonight saw the BBC relaunch one of its most popular and enduring period dramas - 'Lark Rise to Candleford'. Based on a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels by English novelist Flora Thompson, the drama is now into its third series, and boasts in its cast names such as Julia Sawalha, Linda Basset, and formerly Dawn French. Although the novels themselves were set in and around the 1890s, the time frame of the television series is ambiguous and includes numerous ananchronisms in the events its portrays. The current run is set to last for 12 episodes and will be sure to pull in large audiences along the way. The first episode can be seen here

On this day...

Robert Browning wrote his first letter to Elizabeth Barrett in 1845, and so began one of the most famous literary relationships of all time. He started; ' I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett,--and this is no off-hand complimentary letter that I shall write' and continued in a similar vein throughout, ending with a request for a meeting. Duly granted, the pair began a secret romance and in the twenty months that followed they exchanged 575 letters, all without the knowledge of Elizabeth's father, who had banned her and her ten siblings from marrying. Yet Barrett found solace in Browning, and indeed his courtship inspired in her a recovery from her once dehibilating illness. It also inspired some of her most famous works, notably 'Sonnets from the Portugese'; in which she expressed doubts that a man of such calibre would love a woman six years his senior. Having eloped to Itay and married, they both continued to publish exceptional works, until Barret Browning's death in 1861, and Browning's in 1889.

On the road again...

New film 'The Road' was released yesterday in the UK. Based on the highly successful Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, the film is set around a post-apocalyptic wasteland, filmed in Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Oregon. Boasting an impressive cast, including Viggo Mortensen, of Lord of the Rings fame, Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron, the film has already won a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, and has been nominated for a further seven. Click here to watch the trailer

On this day...

Cassandra Austen, beloved sister of Jane, was born in 1773. Two years older than Jane, the sisters were inseparable during their early years and were sent to be educated together, despite Jane being possibly too young to benefit from it. Her mother later said of the incident, 'if Cassandra's head had been going to be cut off, Jane would have hers cut off too'. In 1794, Cassandra became engaged to Thomas Fowle, yet it was to end in tragedy; he died three years later of Yellow Fever in the Caribbean, leaving Cassandra £1000. She was said never to recover from such a blow and, like Jane, did not marry. Many believe that such a loss of love by an older sister are reminiscent of a Jane Bennet or a Elinor Dashwood. Indeed Jane appeared much influenced by her sister, and it was during their living together in Chawton, that Jane penned five of her six most famous novels. Cassandra died in 1845, at the age of 72, outliving her sister by 28 years, on whose death she said; 'I have lost a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed. She was the sun of my life, the gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow, I had not a thought concealed from her, and it is as if I had lost a part of myself'

English teachers just going through the Motions...

Former Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, has criticised Britain's English teachers for not being 'equipped' to teach poetry. In a stinging attack, he criticised the education system for its 'tick-box' culture, and added, that with less than half of teachers graduating in English, they merely passed on their own anxieties about poetry to their pupils. Instead they were teaching in a manner which equated to, 'add up the similes, spot the alliteration and say something about the verse structure', often using rap or other 'modern' mediums to try to evade the situation. Motion believes this current dearth can be countered by holding national recital poetry contests, teaching and allowing children to understand more challenging poems, and developing imagination even if this can seem daunting. 'After all,' he says, 'Why should we pretend that poetry is always and inevitably easy; it isn't...Get over it'. 

On this day...

Victorian novelist Wilkie Collins was born in 1824. Son of Royal Academician artist William Collins, Wilkie moved with his parents to live in Italy between the ages of 12 and 15. Shortly after his return Collins attempted numerous careers, varying from clerk to a tea-merchant to lawyer and even to artist, until, with the release of his first published novel, 'Antonia', he eventually settled on that of a writer. By far the most significant moment of his then fledging literary career, was his meeting Charles Dickens; an event which proved a launchpad for Collins' success. He quickly became editor of Dickens' 'Household Words', and Dickens' weekly publication 'All the Year Round', was the platform for many of Collins' serialised novels. The later death of Dickens in 1870, along with Collins' copious opium use, is thought to have led to a decline in his works, emphasising the important role of Dickens in his works. A writer of sensation novels, Collins' works were a forerunner of modern detective fiction, and his best examples include 'The Woman in White' and 'The Moonstone'. He died in 1889, at the age of 65.  

All the world's a stage...

The Globe Theatre has announced its 2010 season, beginning on the anniversary of Shakespeare's supposed birth and death - 23rd April. Titled 'Kings and Rogues', it opens with Shakespeare's shortest, but perhaps most popular tragedy 'Macbeth'. Following close behind is three plays in his historical series, the ever popular Henry IV parts I + II, as well as the lesser known Henry VIII. Larger than life character Sir John Falstaff is celebrated in three of the plays; also reappearing in a revival of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'. Booking for tickets opens on February 15th.

On this day...

Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII, died in 1536 at the age of 50. As a member of the Tudor dynasty, she and her historical contempories have found themselves popular subjects for recent fiction works. Perhaps the newest example, is that of Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall'. The protagonist of her Booker winning novel, Thomas Cromwell, served as Henry's chief minister and was a strong advocate for his divorce from Catherine and subsequent split from the Church. The influential Tudor period has also found its way into the work of other modern authors. Philippa Gregory's historical fiction, concentrated on Henry's wives and daughters, is highly successful. Her first novel of the series, 'The Other Boleyn Girl' has recently been adapted for the screen and the rights for the sequel, 'The Boleyn Inheritance' have already been sold. Other authors to write about the period include Alison Weir, Kate Emerson and Jean Plaidy.