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My View: Mencap and Learning Disability

My View: Mencap and Learning Disability

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow my to introduce myself. My name is Josie. I work at Mencap as a receptionist and campaigner. My job means a lot to me because years ago I found it hard to get a job. Now I am involved in interviews, in training and campaigning, so I have many important roles in Mencap.

December 3, 2017

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Darkness Visible by Sam Winston

Darkness Visible by Sam Winston

Artist Sam Winston spent a number of weeks living in his studio, drawing in complete darkness. From this experience he has created a new immersive exhibition called Darkness Visible, with the aim of everyone experiencing the creative power of darkness. In this guest blog, he tells us about how the experience affected him.

November 27, 2017

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First World War Books: Classics to Forgotten Reads

First World War Books: Classics to Forgotten Reads

November 2017 marks 100 years since the Battle of Passchendaele ended. To commemorate this we recommend a list of First World War books, from must-reads to forgotten classics.

November 6, 2017

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7 Halloween Costume Ideas From Books!

7 Halloween Costume Ideas From Books!

It's that time of year again! The time when everything is pumpkin flavoured, toilet paper finds other uses, and cobwebs are decoration rather than laziness. Halloween is a great excuse to dress up in spooky costumes and have fun with friends. If you're planning on trick-or-treating this year, then here are seven Halloween costume ideas from books!

October 30, 2017

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Why Do We Like Scary Stories So Much?

Why Do We Like Scary Stories So Much?

For every heart-breaking novel or laugh-out-loud comedy, there are stories that scare us silly. They are the ones that stay with us, or that we scare our friends with. No matter how many times we read them, they frighten us over and over again. So why do we like scary stories so much?

October 23, 2017

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Sarah Perry Interview: The Essex Serpent, The Gothic, and Why She Values Audiobooks

Sarah Perry Interview: The Essex Serpent, The Gothic, and Why She Values Audiobooks

Sarah Perry is the author of After Me Comes the Flood and The Essex Serpent. She has a PhD in creative writing from Goldsmiths University. Her thesis was about the Gothic, and her books are written in this style. Her first book was shortlisted for the Guardian 'First Book Award' in 2014, while The Essex Serpent went on to win multiple awards including Book of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2016, The Waterstones Book of the Year 2016.

October 16, 2017

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13 Audiobooks About Mental Health

13 Audiobooks About Mental Health

Audiobooks about mental health can help everyone understand the affect mental illness has on daily life. Here are 13 of the best.

October 9, 2017

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Robert Thorogood Interview

Robert Thorogood Interview

Robert Thorogood is a screenwriter and author. He is best known for the Death in Paradise TV series. In 2008 he was a finalist for the Red Planet Prize, which aimed to find undiscovered writers. This gave him the opportunity to pitch his idea for a television series about an English policeman in the Caribbean to Tony Jordan, the creator of Life on Mars and Hustle. Death in Paradise first aired in 2010, and it has gone on to be one of Britain's most popular TV shows, with an average of 9 million viewers for Series 6.

October 2, 2017

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Banned Books Week: The Right to Read

Banned Books Week: The Right to Read

This year, the UK is celebrating Banned Books Week to highlight the history of censorship. One of the most famous examples is Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence. The book was famously banned in the UK because of its explicit content. In 1960, Penguin Books won a court case to publish it due to the 'Obscene Publications Act'. This act said that any book considered obscene but with "redeeming social merit" could be published. After six days, the jury found the book was not obscene. It sold out across the UK on the first day of publication, with 200,000 copies bought. Almost 60 years on, this is considered a landmark case that represented the end of an era.

September 25, 2017

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Books to Read After Game of Thrones

Books to Read After Game of Thrones

The story concerns warring families in the fictional land of Westeros. They compete to be the ruler of the seven kingdoms and sit on the Iron Throne against a backdrop of dragons, zombies and giant direwolves. But how do you decide what books to read after Game of Thrones? Whether you relate more to the conniving Cersei Lannister, headstrong Arya Stark, or mother of dragons Daenerys Targaryen, here are books to read based on each family to tide you over until the next series.

September 18, 2017

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