Nicolas Sarkozy: President or grave-robber?...

French intellectuals are up in arms over Sarkozy's latest publicity stunt. An avid reader of Albert Camus from a young age, the French President has decided to move the writer's body to the Panthenon in Paris; the resting place of many of France's literary treasures such as Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola and most recently Alexandre Dumas. Yet the move has caused outrage amongst Camus' fans, who refuse to accept the idea of right-wing president taking the body of a left-wing champion or an anti-intellecual, as Sarkozy is often called, grave-robbing an intellectual. The debate is likely to continue for some time.

On this day...

Philip Henslowe, Elizabethan theatre entrepreneur, died in 1616 at the age of 66, only three months before the greatest theatrical name of the era, William Shakespeare. A shrewd businessman from the start, Henslowe quickly developed interests in areas such as dyeing, pawn-broking, money lending and property. Yet he is best known for his work in the theatre industry, most details of which have only been uncovered thanks to his diary, which contains records of payments to writers, box office takings and expensive costume purchases. After a infamous split with James Burbage, Henslowe became the partner of 'The Admiral's Men' and used his own venues, The Rose and The Fortune Theatre, for their performances. Whereas the diary denotes numerous plays by Shakespearian titles, such as 'Hamlet', 'Henry V' and 'Troilus and Cressida', no record of payment is made to Shakespeare. Instead payments were listed for 27 Elizabethan playwrights, including the names Ben Johnson, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Middleton and John Webster. 

Colm, Cappuccinos and Costa...

The shortlist for the Costa Book of the Year 2009 has been announced. Made up from the winners of the award's original five categories - novel, first novel, poetry, biography and children's book - the candidates have each already pocketed £5,000. Included on the list is Irish writer Colm Toibin, who beat Booker prize winner Hilary Mantel to best novel, Patrick Ness, Christopher Reid, Raphael Selbourne and Graham Farmelo. Janine Cook, fiction buyer at book retailer Waterstone's, said: 'The Costa never fails to pick an eclectic bunch of winners, and this year is no exception'. The winner of the £30,000 prize is set to be announced on January 26th.

On this day...

French author Alexandre Dumas, fought his first duel, with comical consequences. As recounted in his memoirs, the, then 23 year old, ended up with his trousers around his ankles following a string of errors. He had challenged a soldier over a quarrel about a game of billiards, and while proclaiming his skill with a pistol, did not realise the weapon agreed to was a sword. Having appeared at the appointed place and hour, he found that his opponent was sleeping, and so the fight was postponed until the next day. Yet the rearranged date held no better prospects. Despite the freezing cold, Dumas took off his cloak and shirt, only for his brace-less trousers to fall down. In the melee that followed, Dumas jabbed at his opponent, who jumped back, saying that he was in shock at the coldness of the blade. Dumas reveals similar misadventures in subsequent duels. One was postponed  because his opponent had caught a cold while skating on the canal; another had to be canceled altogether because his opponent lost two fingers in his previous duel. These duels, battles and similar escapades would later become the substance of his famous novels, 'The Three Musketeers' and 'The Count of Monte Cristo'

It's raining cats and dogs down under...

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, is set to make his publishing debut. Following several other world leaders' literary successes, Rudd has chosen to write his first book - a children's adventure book about his family pets. 'Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle', will be published on Australia Day, January 26th, with proceeds going to a children's charity. Rudd said of the work; 'It has not been the most demanding text I have worked on, I've worked on the text with Rhys (children's TV presenter) and we've both interviewed the cat and the dog. They have been very co-operative in their responses but, for most of the time, have gone off the record.' His previous literary track is impressive. In 2008, Rudd established Australia's richest literary prize, 'The Prime Minister's Literary Awards', worth £56,000, an award he himself judges. It can only be hoped that his foray into writing measures up.

On this day...

The Fabian society, a British socialist movement, was founded in 1884. A pre-cursor of the Labour party, the Fabians promoted the rise of social democracy, yet by reformist, as opposed to revolutionary means. Although interesting in itself as a political movement, the Fabian Society is perhaps more  worthy of note for a number of its past members, many with literary connections. One of the co-founders was children's author E. Nesbit, who was closely followed by Irish playwright George Bernanrd Shaw, and later science fiction writer H.G. Wells, a second Irish playwright in Oscar Wilde, and modernist Virginia Woolf. Shaw in particular was an ardent member, giving lectures on other contemporary socialist writers, of which there were many, notably Swedish playwright Henrik Ibsen. Along with three fellows Fabians, Shaw founded the London School of Economics in 1895; a library in LSE is named in his honour.

Jude, Lenny and Keira thwart recession...

Although many have felt the pinch over the last year and inevitable luxuries have had to been cut back, the theatre appears not only unaffected by it, but seems to have profited from it. The year is hailed, by the Society of London Theatre, to have been a record breaking one, with over 14 million tickets sold in the capital. The director of National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner, belives this is down to the success of 'straight plays: 'There's a huge audience...for serious theatre, that addresses head on the world that people feel they're part of, that engages with a world that at the moment appears to be spinning out of control'. And Hollywood has lent some of its most famous stars to the cause, Jude Law and Keira Knightley both taking time out from filming to revive Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' and Moliere's 'The Misanthrope' respectively. Other actors have also been at hand; award-winning Lenny Henry and Rachel Weisz have captured audiences and critics alike, ensuring that 2009 was a huge hit at the box office.

On this day...

Fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkein was born in 1892. His full name John Ronald Reuel, Tolkein was an orphan by the age of 12, yet the early experiences with his mother, although brief, stayed with him throughout his life. Love of botany, languages and reading were all inspired by her, and later expressed themselves in his writings. Shortly after graduating from Oxford in 1915, Tolkein volunteered for military service, and was stationed at the Somme. Although later declared unfit for military service after a bout of Trench Fever, Tolkein was considered as a possible codebreaker in the second World War. Tolkein first foray into the literary world came when he accepted a job for the Oxford English Dictionary, studying the etymology of Germanic words beginning with 'W'. It was this interest in the nuances of language that led to the creation of Elvish and subsequently the Middle-Earth world with which he has become synonymous.His most famous works, in more recent times adapted for the big screen, are 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, and its prequel 'The Hobbit'.

Don Paterson strikes gold...

Scottish poet Don Paterson has become the latest recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. Created in 1933 by King George V, the Medal is awarded annually by the monarch for a book of verse publihsed in the Commonwealth. Traditionally the award is announced on Shakespeare's supposed birthday, April 23rd; however, this year the poet was named in the 2010 New Year's Honour List. Paterson, who recently won the £10,000 Forward Poetry Prize in October, was awarded the honour for his poetry anthology 'Rain'. Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy chaired the judging panel, and said Paterson's work was 'poetry of bravery and conviction...acutely attuned to the most intimate of human exchanges'. The Medal has previously been won by names such as T.S. Eliot, John Betjeman and W.H. Auden.

On this day...

Thomas Hardy's novel, 'The Mayor of Casterbridge', began to be published in serial form in 1886. Subtitled 'The Life and Death of a Man of Character', the novel ran in weekly instalments from January 2nd to 15th May in both 'The Graphic' and the American 'Harper's Weekly'. On May 10th, it was bound together in book form, with only 758 copies printed. Like later novels 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' and 'Jude the Obscure', 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' holds many tragic qualities, beginning with the fateful decision of protagonist Michael Henchard to sell his wife and child. Ultimately what follows can be seen as an in-depth character study, examining how the deeds of the past haunt and dictate those of the present.

2010 in books...

2010 is set to see the arrival of highly anticipated works, spanning the literary genres. Among the novels ready to soar to the bestselling list are;

• 'Solar' - Ian McEwan - author of 'Atonement' and CBE
• 'The Pregnant Widow' - Martin Amis - author of 'Money' and Somerset Maugham Award Winner
  
• 'Beatrice and Virgil' - Yann Martel - author of 'The Life of Pi' and Man Booker Prize Winner
  

On this day...

English short story writer and novelist E.M. Forster was born today in 1970. Unlike most writers, who usually require a profession before they can support themselves in their literary career, Forster already had an £8,000 inheritance and so was immediately able to establish himself as a writer. His passion for literature and intellect, though mocked in his younger days, found companionship in Cambridge, where he joined the 'Bloomsbury Set' alongside fellow writer Virginia Woolf. During the following years, Forster traveled widely, visiting Greece, Italy and India, later serving in Egypt with the Red Cross. Such travels were the inspiration for many of his more famous works, such as 'A Passage to India' and 'Where Angels Fear to Tread'. He also explored themes of class and gender division in novels such as 'A Room with a View' and 'Howard's End'. Forster is noted for his contribution to modernism.

My lord, the queen would speak with you...

Patrick Stewart is one of the leading names on the New Year's Hounour List announced today. Stewart is being awarded with a knighthood for his services to drama, joining fellow Shakespearian actors Ian McKellen and Judi Dench in receiving the accolade. During the years, Stewart has been heavily involved in the Royal Shakespeare Company, most recently alongside David Tennant as Claudius in the 2008 production of 'Hamlet', aired last week on the BBC. Stewart, already the recipient of an OBE, said that he was 'very proud' and that theatre has always been his 'great joy'.

On this day...

The approaching of a new year has incurred many epigrams over the last century by authors and playwrights alike. Here are some of the more famous ones:

• "The only way to spend New Year's Eve is either quietly with friends or in a brothel. Otherwise when the evening ends and people pair off, someone is bound to be left in tears."
  - W.H. Auden
  
  
• "The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective."
  - G.K. Chesterton
  
  
• "Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever."
  - Mark Twain
  
  
• "Good resolutions are simply cheques that men draw on a bank where they have no account."
  - Oscar Wilde
  
  

George Orwell's Indian homecoming..

The birthplace of English writer Goerge Orwell, is to receive a makeover after years of dilapidation. With his father an agent in the opium department, Orwell was born in Motihari, India; a small town near the Nepalese border. Although he and his family left for England the next year, 'Orwell cared about India all his life'. Yet his house fell into disrepair, a state heightened by earthquakes and has been home to numerous animals. Now the government has decided to renovate it in order to attract more tourists to one of India's most undeveloped states, saying that they 'will not allow George Orwell's ancestral house, where he was born, to be lost to history'. Calls for renovation have been mooted before, notably in 2003, the 100th anniversary of the author's birth. The work will begin  early 2010.

On this day...

English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley married novelist Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin in 1816.Shelley's second wife, Godwin followed 16 year old Harriet Westbrook, with whom Shelley eloped and had a child. Three years later, he abandoned her in favour of Godwin, and their subsequent marriage came only weeks after Westbrook's suicide. Godwin helped to edit and promote her husband's works, yet was a successful writer in her own right. The Shelleys, Lord Byron, John William Polidori and Claire Clairmont famously spent a summer in Geneva where Mary conceived the idea for her novel 'Frankenstein'. The couple had four children together.

Hugh Grant's choice between books and women...

Hugh Grant has stated his wish to become an author; something the 'Love Actually' star said he was putting off until he could afford it. "I have always promised myself: 'When you have made some nice films and earned some money, you are going to finally write your novel'". Yet even after years of huge financial success, the book has been started and left unfinished, as more and more Hollywood offers appear. 'I don't know if it is laziness or some kind of fear of failure. (I think) shouldn't I rather make a film, earn money and work with beautiful women?'

On this day...

English poet Christina Rossetti died in 1894 at the age of 64. Following the deterioration of her father's health in the 1840s, Rossetti suffered a nervous breakdown, leaving school and experiencing bouts of depression. The occurance also led her to explore the Anglo-Catholic movement, a move which was to impact considerably upon her life and induced the break off of an engagement and another subsequent relationship. Brother of artist Dante Gabriel, Rossetti modelled for some of his most famous paintings, including 'The Girlhood of MaryVirgin' and 'Ecce Ancilla Domini'. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood also gave her an opening for her writing; their literary magazine 'The Germ' contained several of her earlier published works. Her poems varying from devotianal to romantic, her most famous work is 'The Goblin Market', leading her to be labelled Elizabeth Barret Browning's 'natural successor'. Rossetti is also the author of popular Christmas carol 'In the Bleak Midwinter'.

Judi Dench the fairy queen...

Judi Dench is set to star in the Rose Theatre's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' next year. The Kingston theatre, currently showing Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island', have said they are 'delighted' by the announcement. Dench has been a long standing supporter of the theatre, having previously hosted fundraisers. She will play the part of Titiana the fairy queen, a role she assumed for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962. The production will run from 9th February until 20th March. Tickets are now on sale and can be booked here

On this day...

The world's first commercial film screening took place in 1895. The Grand Cafe in Paris played host to ten 50 second movies, each created by brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere. Since then, the film industry has grown exponentially and can often be credited with contributing to or reigniting interest in literary works. Of the top ten highest grossing films worldwide, five belong to arguably the two most influential literary series of all time. The Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings films, earning 5.41 billion and 2.92 billion respectively, have opened up the world of books for many who did not enjoy reading previously; the releases coinciding with a huge upturn in sales for both sets of books. However, it is debatable as to whether adaptations of literary works are positive, many criticising that they can either overshadow the original work, or actually change it beyond recognition.

Sherlock Holmes discovers the big screen...

The new Guy Ritchie film 'Sherlock Holmes' was released yesterday. Based on the Arthur Conan Doyle detective novels, the film sees Robert Downey Jr. as the lead role, and Jude Law as sidekick Dr. Watson. Received positively by critics, the movie has already picked up award nominations, including a Golden Globe for Downey Jr's portrayal of Sherlock. The film grossed $65.4 million in its opening weekend.

On this day...

J.M. Barrie's popular children's character Peter Pan debuted as a stage play at the Duke of York Theatre in 1904. Having already appeared in novel form as a section of 'The Little White Bird' in 1902, the production has since been adapted numerous times for screen, stage and radio. Peter Pan and his fellow lost boys are all based on the children of the Llewelyn Davies family; children whom Barrie became the guardian of when both their parents died. A new 'breathtaking' production, first on at Kensington Gardens in the Summer, is currently on at the O2.

David Tennant speaks daggers...

On a similarly Shakespearian theme, David Tennant has reprised his award winning role as Hamlet. The some time Time Lord combined with fellow actor Patrick Stewart to recreate the Royal Shakespeare Company's production, which proved a sellout success in London's West End. The three hour long drama was aired today on BBC2, and can be seen here. 'Hamlet' is Shakespeare's longest play, and is often one of the most popular to perform, given the numerous interpretations that can be applied to it. Other actors to have played the role include Jude Law and Sam Waterston, with John Simm taking it up later this year.

On this day...

One of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, 'King Lear' is noted for its first ever performance in 1606. During the reign of James I, a known advocate and admirer of Shakespeare's works, the play was performed in court, yet the actual date of its writing remain unknown. Undoubtedly one of Shakespeare's later plays, most scholars believe it to have been written between 1603 and 1606 due to other documentation of the time. However, there are a minority, most of whom doubt the authorship, that think it written earlier, given its parallels with contemporary history of 1589. The play, in its numerous adaptations, has always been noted for its depiction of human suffering and many other psychoanalytic interpretations have been offered as to its meaning.

2009 in books...

2009 has been yet another year of triumphs in the literary world. From Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall' to Steig Larsson's 'The Girl Who Played with Fire', it has seen the release of many successful books, many of which were honoured by literary awards across the globe. Festivals both in Britain and elsewhere celebrated the work of such literary artists, and masters of the field payed tribute to them. 'The Guardian' takes a look back at the year with this quiz....

On this day...

English poet and critic Matthew Arnold was born in 1822. Son of Thomas Arnold, the headmaster of Rugby School, Arnold had a privileged education, including a scholarship at Balliol College in Oxford. During his childhood, perhaps due to close frienship with neighbour William Wordsworth, Arnold won numerous literary prizes from both Latin and English poetry. Yet in 1851, finding himself short of the income to support a marriage, Arnold applied for the post of Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools, which he got, but later described as 'drugedy'. It was in 1857, having been appointed Professor of Poetry at Oxford, that his literary career took off; his most famous works being 'Dover Beach' and 'The Scholar Gypsy'. He has been called the third greatest Victorian poet behind Alfred Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning.

A magical decade for J.K. Rowling..

The Harry Potter phenomenon has seen J.K. Rowling become the bestselling author of the decade. Beginning with the fourth installment in 2000, Rowling has seen sales of her books reach 29,084,999; generating an income of £225.9m. The incredible figure outstrips her nearest rival, Roger Hargreaves of Mr. Men fame, by 14,921,858 copies. Other popular modern writers to make it into the top ten, include Dan Brown and Jacqueline Wilson. There are also places in the top 50 for writers no longer alive; J.R.R. Tolkein and Roald Dahl both feature and Shakespeare squeezes in at 45 - amassing £17.8m worth of sales more than 390 years after his death.

On this day...

'A Visit from St. Nicholas', more commonly referred to as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas', was published anonymously in 1823. The poem is often thought of as the source for the Western traditional image of Christmas; including the appearance of Santa himself - 'His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!' - and the names of all his reindeer. Yet despite the poem's modern popularity, the authorship is still a matter under question. More than twenty years later, it was claimed by and attributed to Clement C. Moore, and was included in an 1844 anthology of his works. However, in recent times, there has emerged those who doubt his authorship, and believe that the poem was the work of Henry Livingston Jr.; a relative of Moore's wife. Several points have been made as evidence for the theory, one of which is that both the metre and style of the poem are consistent with Livingston's other works. The poem remains a frequently referenced work and has inspired numerous adaptations and parodies.

Lost Symbol finds its place in the charts..

For the second time this decade, Dan Brown finds himself top of the book charts at Christmas. Following his 2004 success with 'The Da Vinci Coode', Brown's 'The Lost Symbol' just beat perennial bestseller 'The Guiness Book of World Records' into second place. Past years have seen celebrity autobiographies dominate the charts from names such as Dawn French and Russell Brand, but this year only two have even entered the top ten; Ant and Dec's and Frankie Boyle's memoirs coming in at ninth and tenth respectively. Instead, it is mainly fiction that compromises the chart; two of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight saga, as well as novels by Jodi Picoult and Stieg Larsson proving bestsellers. The chart also leaves room for the more traditional, and the latest installment of Delia's Christmas recipies makes it to number eight.

On this day...

Children's author Helen Beatrix Potter, better known by just her middle name, died at the age of 77 in 1943. Schooled at home by a governess and largely ignored, Potter had little social interaction as a child, and relied instead on pets to provide her with the attention she craved. She is said to have had frogs, newts, ferrets, a bat and, of course, two rabbits; Benjamin and Peter, who were to form the basis of her first story. The setting for her many tales was inspired by frequent family trips to both Scotland and the Lake District; the latter became Potter's home some years later, when she bought Hill Top Farm - now a National Trust property. Potter's first attempts at writing were rebuffed by publishers for the lack of colour pictures. She decided to self publish, and soon gained an independent income from her writings. All together she wrote 23 books, the first and most famous of which is 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit'. Besides a sparkling literary career, Potter is also noted for her work is the field of mycology, or funghi.