Books

It’s been 11 years since the last book in A Song of Ice and Fire was published, but at least House of the Dragon has followed Game of Thrones on TV to keep fans occupied. Just like the showrunners of the original series, the prequel’s creator Ryan Condal has access …

Evocative vintage cover artwork for The Christmas Egg by Mary Kelly (Image: ) Traditional detective novels set during Christmas and with titles like Crimson Snow or Mystery In White are enjoying a remarkable resurgence. So here’s a seasonal riddle that might baffle Hercule Poirot or Lord Peter Wimsey: why is …

After hearing of the 11 year delay, Patterson said: “I’ve heard of writers’ block, this is more like writers’ constipation. I actually have the opposite problem, I suffered from writers’ diarrhoea.” He also advised that Martin change his writing methods since he still uses an ancient DOS computer and WordStar …

Prince Harry: Jeffrey Archer admits he’s fearful of book Jeffrey Archer has been an avid reader since, as a small boy, his mother introduced him to Swallows And Amazons. “It’s a story with enduring appeal,” says Lord Archer today. “I was very lucky with my mother; parents are very important. …

Sir Ian Livingstone (left) with John Peake (middle) and Steve Jackson (right) (Image: PH) “They’re calling me Knight of the Nerds!” beamed Sir Ian Livingstone over Zoom, just weeks after he received a CBE from the Princes Royal. “And I’m very happy with that!” The British gamer was reservedly ecstatic when I …

Sentenced to 12 months in Wormwood Scrubs for assault during the Brixton uprising of April 1981, the 18-year-old clenched his eyes shut as the reality of prison confronted him. He opened them to find a Rastafarian cellmate two decades his senior offering him a cup of tea. Alex snubbed the …

The Pride And Prejudice novelist, born in 1775 in Hampshire, beat Harry Potter creator JK Rowling to top spot. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory author Roald Dahl came joint third with William Shakespeare. The poll of 2,000 Britons was for Amazon Books to celebrate the work of its charitable arm, …

: The last flying supersonic passenger jet touches down at Filton, Bristol, on November 26, 2003 (Image: PA) Sleek, elegant and proud, Concorde stands aloof on the tarmac, an icon of aviation even after being mothballed in her prime and nearly two decades of retirement. I am standing alongside aircraft …

Juliet was 20 when the animated film version of the book was released in 1978 (Image: PA) When the two young daughters of civil servant Richard Adams asked him to tell them a story during a long car journey, he invented a tale about bravery and rabbits who talked. It …

And of the 37 percent of girls who don’t feel represented, 38 percent thought lead roles in stories always seemed to be boys. More than a quarter (27 percent) of parents also agreed that there is a lack of representation of their children – with things like being an only …