Flann O’Brien, born October 5, 1911, turned English into a hall of mirrors — where stories questioned their authors and language mocked its own seriousness. Through wit, absurdity, and linguistic play, he transformed English prose into an instrument of rebellion and reflection, shaping the comic spirit of modern literature.
Birth of Flann O’Brien (Brian O’Nolan) (1911–1966) – The Trickster of English Metafiction
Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations didn’t just shape economics—it transformed English. His vivid terms like invisible hand, laissez-faire, and division of labor embedded Enlightenment ideas into everyday speech. Today, his legacy lives on not just in markets, but in the very language we use to describe them.
Adam Smith (1723–1790) – Architect of Economic English
I’ve just translated a couple of Cavafy’s poems, both on historical themes. The first one is a fictional tomb inscription for a young Alexandrian youth called Iasis; Iasis’s tomb Here lie I, Iasis, a youth of this great cityfamed for his beauty.Wise men admired me and also thoughtless,ordinary people. I’m equally glad for both of […]
Two poems of Cavafy’s
Back in May, Faber and Faber reissued Alexander Baron’s brilliant novel The Lowlife, the entertaining, picaresque story of an amiable Jewish charmer trying to get by on his wits in seedy post-war London. The book is a welcome addition to the excellent Faber Editions series, which aims to spotlight rediscovered gems from the publisher’s archive […]
London Novels – ten favourites from my shelves
penwithlit