11/06/2025 · 20:39

‘Jackal’ author Frederick Forsyth dies

Sad news, on Monday, of the death of Frederick Forsyth aged 86, after a brief illness.

Forsyth was a former RAF pilot and investigative journalist, joining Reuters in 1961 before moving the BBC in 1965. Later he worked as freelance journalist and, he revealed in 2015, spent several years with MI6.

His first novel Day of the Jackal was published in 1971 and for which he is probably best known. In fact it’s mentioned in practically every newspaper headline announcing his passing. The novel became an international bestseller. It was made into a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox. He went on to write The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Fourth Protocol, The Fist of God and No Comebacks.

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26/05/2025 · 15:17

Time to hit the Hay

Last week (Thursday) saw the launch of the 2025 Hay Festival at Hay-on-Wye which runs until 1 June. It you’re not familiar with this huge literary event here’s what Hay Festival Global says: ‘It brings together diverse voices from the worlds of art, literature, science, politics, music and comedy to listen, talk, debate and create.’

This event has been on my bucket list for centuries and will problem remain there. However, there is coverage on BBC Radio 3 & 4, Radio Wales, and various podcasts, plus Hay Festival has its own Anytime channel. This is reached via the Hay website and it’s certainly worth taking out an Anytime Annual Subscription – considerably lower cost than travelling to Hay, but less fun. This gives you access to hours of audio and film recordings from each festival and, as they say, gives you front row access to the world’s great writers and artists.

A quick glance at the events to date (Monday 26th) and you’ll see:

Audio links for interviews with: Tim Minshall, Michael Morpurgo, Peter Lord, Mike Berners-Lee, Lucy Mangan, David & Yinka Olusoga plus many more.

Film links to watch: Naga Munchetty, Michael Rosen, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Emma Barnett & Stacey Dooley, Alexander McCall Smith, Alastair Campbell and Joanne Harris, to name only a small number.

Among those you can listen to or watch from previous festivals are: Maya Angelou, Muriel Spark, Stephen Hawking, Judi Dench, Tony Benn, Christopher Hitchens, Jacqueline Wilson, Margaret Atwood, Harold Pinter, Rose Tremain, Doris Lessing, Philip Pullman, Bill Bryson and Toni Morrison.

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23/04/2025 · 19:48

It’s World Book Night

Today we celebrate World book Night and, hopefully, read a while!

So now to support our effort we can announce that The Road to Reading is back with the goal of dedicating more time to regular reading, even in short bursts. It can make a real difference to how we feel — help us relax, unwind, connect. spark curiosity, boost self-esteem and support mental health. So, if you really want to make a difference you can sign up to the Road to Reading – a Reading Agency initiative – where you pledge to read each week for 10 weeks and see what a difference it makes.

Last year, 73% of participants said that it helped them to feel more relaxed, and 76% said it added purpose to their week. It doesn’t just have to be physical books. It can include short stories, audiobooks, even graphic novels.

According to research, adults who read for just 30 minutes a week are: 20% more likely to report greater life satisfaction; 18% more likely to have higher self-esteem; 52% more likely to feel socially included and 37% more likely to get greater pleasure out of their social life.

If you want to ease your way in, or simple enjoy some Quick Reads, here’s the current crop:

Write It All Down, Cathy Rentzenbrink; A New Year, Leila Aboulela; The Mind Manual, Dr Alex George; A Rising Man, Abir Mukherjee; A Boy Called Saul, Fiona Cummins; The Surprise Visitor, Cathy Bramley

Buy from your local bookshop or find them at the library.

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