Declining vocabulary in children's books

 I've written a piece for The Spectator about the declining quality of vocabulary in children's books. There wasn't space, unfortunately, to talk about the excellent writers who do stretch children these days, like Frances Hardinge, Marcus Sedgwick, Sally Gardner, F E Higgins et alia. 

The real story behind Barry Lyndon

Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon is a film I enjoy greatly: I also greatly enjoyed writing about it, and the real story behind it, for The Specator.  

 

Ferdinand Mount, and a short story for subscribers

 I reviewed Ferdinand Mount's latest novel, The Pentecost Papers, for the TLS.  Many years ago, I interviewed him for the Telegraph, and some time before that, I reviewed his novel, The Condor's Head.

 And over on Substack, I've released the first part of a short story for subscribers.  "Tor" is about a young boy who is left behind in a tower by himself during a long war. 

Part Two: read it here. 

 

 

Under the Net by Iris Murdoch

 I wrote about Iris Murdoch's first novel, Under the Net, for The Times.

 

 

Gobbolino the Witch's Cat

 I wrote a Substack on Gobbolino the Witch's Cat.

 

13 Novels Conservatives Will Love: review in Spectator World

 I was asked to review 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love by Christopher J Scalia in this month's Spectator World. 

 

How to Write Children's Fiction: Part 1

 Over on Substack, I'm doing a short series of three essays on How to Write Children's Fiction. 

I've also written about the process of being a fiction reviewer.  

Here is part two of How to Write Children's Fiction.