Regular readers of this blog are probably aware of my fondness for Barbara Comyns – a startlingly original writer with a very distinctive style. Her novels have a strange, slightly off-kilter feel, frequently blending surreal imagery and touches of dark, deadpan humour with the harsh realities of life. This wry sense of the absurd is […]
The Juniper Tree by Barbara Comyns
Born on October 19, 1931, John le Carré transformed espionage fiction into moral literature. His spare, elegant prose exposed the human cost of secrecy, creating a lexicon of betrayal and introspection. Through characters like George Smiley, he redefined English realism—where truth whispers, loyalty trembles, and language itself becomes deception.
Birth of John le Carré (1931–2020) – The Chronicler of Betrayal and Moral Ambiguity
This week Paul Dry Books made me a very happy man. My translation of Alexander Voloshin’s mock epic Sidetracked: Exile in Hollywood, which will officially appear in April of next year, now has a cover, blurbs from four of my idols in disparate fields, and a foothold on Amazon. The people I approached to endorse, […]
From Mandelstam to Mr. Peanut: Another Hollywood Émigré Journey
Published on August 17, 1945, George Orwell’s Animal Farm transformed English political vocabulary. Beyond allegory, it gifted enduring metaphors—“some are more equal than others,” “Squealer tactics,” “Napoleonic rule”—still used to expose corruption, betrayal, and propaganda in modern discourse, embedding Orwell’s satire into everyday English critique of power.
Publication of Animal Farm – From Fairy Story to Political Vocabulary
It’s funny to look back, ten years on, and realise I’m still just doing the stuff I was trained to do at university. It’s essentially just close reading – I like to pick up a game and look at one facet or another. It’s not a strict rule, but it’s pretty clearly my bread and […]
Writing and the Public Sphere
penwithlit