Milestones and Anniversaries | Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

In the Time of Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

Bain News Service, publisher / Public domain

Only a man harrowing clods
In a slow silent walk
With an old horse that stumbles and nods
Half asleep as they stalk.

Only thin smoke without flame
From the heaps of couch-grass;
Yet this will go onward the same
Though Dynasties pass.

Yonder a maid and her wight
Come whispering by:
War's annals will cloud into night
Ere their story die.

– In Time of 'The Breaking of Nations' by Thomas Hardy, 1915

The author, Thomas Hardy, always regarded himself primarily as a poet even though he gained fame, in his lifetime, for his novels and short stories. Indeed, it was the income that he earned from these endeavours that allowed him, eventually, to leave his job as an architect and devote himself full time to writing.

His first volume of poetry, Wessex Poems, was not published until 1898, representing the output of the previous thirty years. It followed not too long after the publication of his final novel, Jude the Obscure, which, like much of his work, received criticism for its portrayal of issues concerning class, religion, morality, marriage and social mores. Characters in Hardy's novels seem destined (doomed even) to live out their lives within the confines of a Victorian class system, no matter how hard they try to break free. All life springs from the earth and to the earth it returns in the end.

In the 20th century, Hardy devoted himself entirely to poetry and it is at this point that themes in his writing begin to shift, from the social realism of his 19th century novels that often verges on fatalism, to an altogether bleaker outlook of his 20th century poetry, becoming more and more pronounced with the onset of World War I and the destruction that it brought in its wake.

In Time of 'The Breaking of Nations', reproduced above, appeared in 1915 and specifically response to a request from the Saturday Review for 'an uplifting poem' in a time of war. What he achieves is certainly uplifting, insofar as it evokes the strength to be found in human endurance when pitted against the ravages of time. The pervasive sense of melancholy is all too clear however and this, it could be said, is typical and characteristic of Hardy, both as a poet and novelist.

Thomas Hardy was born on this day in 1840, in Dorset, England. He lived briefly in London, pursuing a career as an architect before returning to Dorset, where he died on 11 January 1928.

Sources

• Interesting Literature
• Poetry Foundation

The Lesser-Known Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Public Domain, Link

Karl Heinrich Marx was born on this day in 1818, in the German town of Trier. As on previous occasions, the anniversary is being celebrated around the world – a reflection of the enormity of his influence, which seems to grow exponentially with each succeeding generation and all the more so every time he is 'ridiculed' and 'proved wrong'.

Taking time out from all of that therefore, we thought that we would use the occasion of his 200th anniversary to reflect on some of the lesser known aspects of Marx's literary output and activities. Just as his writings include subject matter that is wide-ranging and all-embracing, the German philosopher, economist, historian, political theorist, all-round man of letters, lent his talents, during his lifetime, to a variety of literary styles. He was, by turns, an academic, journalist, pamphleteer, in addition to what might be regarded as his primary career, as political agitator and organiser. His literary style is, perhaps, most noteworthy for a unique ability to clarify and demystify even the most complex, weighty and serious of issues.

What might come as a surprise therefore, is that, among his earliest canon of writings, he also found time to work on that which, for someone of his talents, might appear trivial. By 1837, we are told, when he still had not reached his 20th year, Marx was working a short novel, Scorpion and Felix, a drama, Oulanem, as well as a number of love poems, dedicated to his childhood sweetheart and future wife, Jenny von Westphalen.

Scorpion and Felix is described as " A Humoristic Novel", thought to be inspired, or at least influenced by The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Irish novelist, Laurence Sterne (1713-1768). The work was never completed and only fragments of it remain. It has been suggested that parts of the novel could have been burned by Marx himself, along with other of his early works. Those fragments that did survive were included as a supplement to his Book of Verse (1837).

Oulanem is a drama or poetic play written by Karl Marx in 1839, during his years as a student. The action takes place in a mountain town in Italy. It is available to read online at Marxist Internet Archive, along with other of Marx's early writings.

Marx's early writing are also available, in English, as part of Volume 1 of Marx-Engels Collected Works, published by Lawrence & Wishart (a self-described independent and radical publishing house) in 1975. A digital version of this collection has since been made available to university libraries, through Project Muse.

This circumstance however, appears to have given rise to some dispute. In 2014, Lawrence & Wishart required Marxists Internet Archive to take down work over which it claims copyright! Marxists Internet Archive have countered by arguing that "the reaction of the 'Marxist community' at large has been wholly negative to the actions — completely legal — by L&W".

Pierre Boulle (1912-1994): Literary Luminary of the Silver Screen

The following article, re-posted from Planets of the Apes website, on the occasion of French author, Pierre Boulle's birthday, also comes in the 50th anniversary year of the 1968 motion picture, Planet of the Apes, adapted from Boulle's original novel, La Planète des singes (1963)

By Source (WP:NFCC#4),
Fair use, Link

Pierre Boulle, novelist and short story writer, was born on this day in Avignon, France, in 1912.

An engineer by profession, who worked as a technician on British rubber plantations in Malaya during the 1930s, he joined the Free French Forces under Charles de Gaulle upon the outbreak of World War II. He worked with resistance movements in China, Burma, French Indochina until his capture, in 1943, by Vichy France loyalists on the Mekong River. He was imprisoned and subjected to severe hardship and forced labour, which he would later write about in the form of a highly successful autobiographical novel, Le Pont de la Rivière Kwai.

After the war, Boulle resumed his previous occupation for a time but, by 1949, had returned to his native France, living in Paris where he sought to make a name for himself as a writer. The success of his literary output is overshadowed only by the success achieved by adaptations of his work for cinema. Today, his reputation rest chiefly on two works, The Bridge over the River Kwai (first published in French, in 1952, as Le Pont de la Rivière Kwai) and Planet of the Apes (first published in French, in 1963, as La Planète des singes), both of which were made into award-winning films by Hollywood studios.

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The Bridge on the River Kwai (as the film adaptation was called) garnered considerable success, winning seven Academy Awards in 1958. However, this was to prove a mere precursor to the sensation that Planet of the Apes would become – and to the surprise of no one more than Boulle himself, who puzzled over how the book could ever be adapted to the format demanded by cinema and, in any case, apparently considered the novel to be one of his lesser works. The idea is said to have originated with a trip to the zoo, watching and observing how animals and primates in particular, behaved.

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The screenplay for the motion picture deviates in many respects from the novel yet, retains all of the essential elements, including what The Guardian newspaper described as "classic science fiction ... full of suspense and satirical intelligence", in its review of the novel when it first appeared.

The planet in the novel is a different planet to Earth although, the ending is not without a wry, sardonic twist [a double twist, in fact – Editor], emulated only by the climactic finale evoked by Rod Serling and Charlton Heston in the film adaptation. Furthermore, the apes whom the astronauts from present-day Earth encounter, inhabit a civilised milieu though, one that is not without contradictions, including a certain capacity for casual cruelty.

Pierre Boulle died in Paris, France on 30 January 1994, aged 81. His total literary output amounts to some 30 novels and short story collections. A website dedicated to his life and work is operated by «Les amis de l'œuvre de Pierre Boulle».

Planets of the Apes: Pierre Boulle (1912-1994): Creator of The Planet of the Apes:

'via Blog this'

350th Anniversary of the Birth of Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Charles Jervas,
public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Jonathan Swift, essayist, poet, political pamphleteer, remembered primarily as a satirist (the terms 'Swiftian' has even entered the English language, reflecting a certain outlook that is caustic, sardonic but possessed of unfathomable truth and insight) was born on this day in 1667.

Born in Dublin, Swift lived Ireland, on and off, for the greater portion of his life. His early childhood was divided between England and Ireland and he spent some of his adult years in England too, where he moved among London-based literary circles that included Alexander Pope, John Gay, John Arbuthnot.

He was politically active during this time, first as a Whig, later as a Tory. His outspokenness and forthright manner probably weighed against him in the long run however. When he sought a church appointment in England, in reward for his services, the best position his friends could secure for him was that of Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. It seems that Queen Anne, had taken a particular dislike to Swift and made it clear that he would not have received even that position if she could have prevented it. Among other things, she regarded his work, A Tale of a Tub, to be blasphemous. With the return of the Whigs to power in 1715, Swift left England and returned to Ireland, it is said "in disappointment, a virtual exile [and] to live like a rat in a hole" (source: Wikipedia).

Whatever about his personal disappointment, his literary output betrays little evidence of despondency. In his pamphleteering, he turned his attention to Irish causes with Proposal for Universal Use of Irish Manufacture (1720), Drapier's Letters (1724) and A Modest Proposal (1729), earning him the reputation of an Irish patriot and also, the attention of the authorities, who made unsuccessful attempts to silence him. At one point, a reward was offered by the government to anyone disclosing the identity of the author of Drapier's Letters. Though it was hardly a secret, still, no one turned him in and by the end, the Government had been forced to call upon no less a person than Isaac Newton to counter some of the accusations and points of contention contained within Drapier's Letters.

Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

It was also during these years that Swift wrote his masterpiece, Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts, by Lemuel Gulliver, first a surgeon, and then a captain of several ships, or Gulliver's Travels as it is better known and remembered to this day. First published in 1726, it was an immediate success. Within a year of publication, it had been re-printed twice and translated into French, German, Dutch.

The enduring appeal of Swift's fictional travelogue is due to many things, not least being the humorous, prodding style that he evokes and provokes. Swift himself said that he wrote Gulliver's Travels "to vex the world rather than divert it". Despite frequent bowdlerisation and adaptation, typically oriented towards younger readerships and modern audiences, it retains an essential universality of outlook that has outlived many of the political, religious, philosophical quarrels of the time, which the author is intent on poking fun at.

Jonathan Swift died, as his epitaph says, "on the 19th Day of the Month of October, A.D. 1745, in the 78th Year of his Age." His later years were marred with illness that affected him mentally as well as physically. "I shall be like that tree," he is said to have remarked of his own demise, "I shall die at the top."

In his will, he left the bulk of his estate towards the founding of a hospital for the mentally ill in Dublin, which opened in 1757 and exists to this day, not far from St. Patrick's Cathedral, after which it is named.

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957)

By Unknown photographer
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House series of autobiographical novels, was born 150 years ago today, on 7 February 1867. Between 1932 and 1943, she produced a total of eight such novels, all based on her childhood experiences growing up in various parts of the US northern mid-west during the 1870s and 1880s, as part of a pioneer and settler family. "Years of sunshine and shadows" as she would later describe it.

She was born near village of Pepin in the Big Woods region of Wisconsin. Her family moved around quite a lot and this feature of her life would continue after she got married. She had worked as a teacher in the meantime, from the age of just 15, in order to supplement her family's earnings. Each of the books in the Little House series are set in one of the locations that she had lived while growing up.

The family resided for only two years in Walnut Grove, Minnesota before crop failure forced them to move on. Nevertheless, it provides the setting for the TV series, Little House on the Prairie, loosely based on her accounts. The book of the same name actually tells of the time that the Ingalls family spent on the prairie of Kansas, near the town of Independence, on what subsequently turned out to be a Native American reservation. The decision to move was based on the fact that the land was not legally open to settlement and that the US army might force them to abandon it.

By Laura Ingalls Wilder
(scan from the Internet)
[Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Her writing career began around 1911, when she found an outlet for her particular talent and style in articles that she submitted to mostly farming and rural publications. In her early 60s, she began writing an autobiography with the title, Pioneer Girl. It was rejected by publishers but she re-wrote most of the stories, adapting them to a format suitable for juvenile and young adult readership. She was assisted in her efforts by her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, herself a prominent journalist, writer, polemicist, staunch libertarian. The Little House series were, in many ways, a literary collaboration of the mother and the daughter, with Rose also acting as her agent, using her connections as a successful writer in her own right to get the books published.

Another motivating factor may well have been the stock market crash of 1929, which saw both Rose's savings, as well as that of her parents, wiped out. Their fortunes were restored far beyond what they could have expected with the success of the Little House series, recollecting pioneer life of the late 19th century, based on the Ingalls family's experiences on the American frontier. Some unfinished manuscripts have been also published posthumously.

Laura Ingalls Wilder died on February 10, 1957, three days after her 90th birthday.

Gravesite of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder in Mansfield Cemetery, Mansfield, MO.
Buried next to them is daughter Rose Wilder Lane.

By Julie Jordan Scott [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

No Spare Life by Rosaleen Glennon: a journey through cancer

No Spare Life: one woman's journey through cancer by Rosaleen Glennon was launched over the weekend at the Irish Writers Centre in Dublin. As would be evident from the title, it is a book that charts the author's personal battles and the progression, from diagnosis, through treatment with chemotherapy, recovery and the renewed appreciation for life that comes with it all.

In his Introduction, author Dermot Bolger says, "The overriding emotion which resonates from these pages is a resilient, hard earned sense of hope and a starkly fresh new way of seeing things by an author who was aware that, at times, she did not know if she would live to see certain things again."

Born in Dublin, now residing in Co. Roscommon, Rosaleen had been living in Germany when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2010.

On gleaning the news after a biopsy, I went into a spin. I don't remember leaving the doctor's office on the third floor of the hospital and getting into the lift. I began to think again when the lift doors opened and I stepped out on the ground floor. I turned round three times on the spot and thought. "What am I going to do now? Does he mean I should get my affairs in order?" I almost laughed at my own thinking. I realised that we have absolutely no control. We might think we have, but we don't.

Before Rosaleen was ever a cancer survivor, "she was so many other things, including a gifted writer," says Dermot Bolger and it was through writing about the experience of what she was going through and keeping a record of her life that she was able 'to honour it – the cancer'.

I realise everybody's experience of cancer is different but I want to publish what I have written ... to share what happened to me, so that it might help other people who have had such a diagnosis as well as their families and friends. I hope it helps.

No Spare Life by Rosaleen Glennon is a collection of poetry and short prose pieces that is also very tastefully illustrated throughout, in full colour. It is on sale now. RRP €12. For more information, see the author's website.

Google Doodles for Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888),
via Wikimedia Commons

Louisa May Alcott – best known as the author of Little Women – is the latest literary figure to be subject of the accolade that is the Google Doodle, on the occasion of the 184th anniversary of her birth, on this day (29 November) in 1832.

Born in Pennsylvania, her family later moved to Boston and much of her life was spent around Massachusetts. Financial circumstances were such that Louisa, along with her sisters, had to seek work from an early age – as a teacher, seamstress, governess, domestic helper, and writer. It is said that "writing became a creative and emotional outlet for Alcott."

Her family were also practising transcendentalists, which brought them into the circles of famous literary figures of the day, such as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Margaret Fuller. She was also active, from an early age, in abolitionist and feminist causes.

The publication of Little Women, in 1869, secured her literary fame, though she had been writing and publishing for many years previously. It was an instant success and followed by two sequels that were eagerly received. The novel is loosely autobiographical, detailing both her own life and that of her sisters, following their passage from childhood to womanhood. It is considered a landmark work in the emergence of female literature of the 19th century. It remains a widely read classic and has been adapted numerous times for stage and cinema.

Louisa May Alcott's 184th birthday

Brightening Over Dillon's by Liam Nevin. Memoir about Growing Up in Ireland in the 1960s.

Brightening Over Dillon's by Liam Nevin is the just published volume of memoirs that offers an authentic, first-hand account of life growing up in Ireland during the decade of the 1960s. In telling this story, the author has drawn upon his own experiences and those of others too. What we get is a coming of age tale framed within the setting of a country that was also in transition, embracing modernity, rising to the challenges and opportunities that this brings in its wake.

"Conditions weren't always easy: the houses were often overcrowded, with not many facilities such as running water and central heating. School could be quite difficult, with corporal punishment a major issue. It was believed by many teachers that education could be 'beaten' into pupils. But life was happy and there was little pressure on children to have this, that and the other."

Compared to today, families didn't have much but children could play safely outdoors, making up their own games, exploring fields and woods around them, inventing adventures that filled the void. Television was only just becoming a feature in people's lives. Its introduction was generally welcomed but not without some reservation and even a certain amount of unease – a circumstance alluded in the remarks of President Éamonn de Valera, on the occasion of the launch of Telefís Éireann on New Year's Eve, 1961.

Published in the year that marks the centenary of the Easter Rising, the book recalls how the 50th anniversary was marked and observed by that generation of Irishmen and Irishwomen. Events surrounding the visit of US President John F. Kennedy to his ancestral home, in 1963, are also recorded, along with other events of the era.

The picture that is painted captures the atmosphere of that time and the hopes and aspirations of those who lived through it: a period in Irish life that might now appear remote but not so far removed that it has slipped entirely from living memory.

Brightening Over Dillon's by Liam Nevin is published by The Manuscript Publisher. It is on sale now, in print and e-book editions. RRP €12.95 (print edition) plus P&P. The e-book is available in Kindle edition from Amazon and in all common e-book formats from Smashwords, as well as other online retailers.

Liam Nevin is a native of County Kildare but now lives in Shepperton, England, with his wife Marlene. He is also the author of The Tobacco Fields of Meath, the widely acclaimed, fascinating account of tobacco growing in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century. It is based, in part, on private papers left behind by his grandfather, John Nevin, who was very much at the heart of the experiment. This book is also on sale and available to buy online, in print and e-book editions.

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2016: Bob Dylan

Ill: N. Elmehed. © Nobel Media AB 2016

The Permanent Secretary of Svenska Akademien (Swedish Academy) has issued the following statement:

The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2016 is awarded to Bob Dylan

"for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".

A biography/bibliography, also posted to the official website of the Nobel Prize, says that Bob Dylan was born on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, USA and developed a 'particular passion' for American folk music and blues during his youth. "One of his idols was the folk singer Woody Guthrie. He was also influenced by the early authors of the Beat Generation, as well as by modernist poets."

His vast artistic output is noted, including albums, films and experimental work like Tarantula (1971) and the collection Writings and Drawings (1973). His 2004 autobiography, Chronicles, is also cited for depicting "memories from the early years in New York and which provides glimpses of his life at the center of popular culture."

Source: "The Nobel Prize in Literature 2016 - Press Release". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 13 Oct 2016.

Book Launch: The Unity Project by Brian Corvin. Thurs 6 October at Irish Writers' Centre

The Unity Project, the title of the recently published second volume of poetry and verse by artist and poet, Brian Corvin, will be formally launched at The Irish Writers' Centre on Thursday, 6 October starting 6:30pm.

The Unity Project
by Brian Corvin

Brian’s first book, The Dream Journey, published in 2009, took him 50 years to write. This second volume has taken him just five years, which, he describes, as "progress of a kind". In The Unity Project, he sets out to complete the task that he set himself with his first outing.

The book takes its title from the long anchor poem contained within, itself inspired by the writings of Abdul Baha (1844-1921) who, over 150 years ago, put forward the view that 'the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens'. It was with the intention of exploring the ramifications of such ideas that set Brian Corvin on his own journey.

"I wrote the poem, The Unity Project, about the next step in our evolutionary development, to give voice to my beliefs and hopes for a better world," says Brian.

The conclusions that he has come to are set forward in the two volumes of poetry that have been published to date. They are also presented, in summary form, on a website that is being launched to coincide with the new publication. This, he hopes, offers a platform that can "develop and morph into a people’s power movement, which can and will work for real and fundamental change on three levels: the individual, the communal and the global."

The Unity Project by Brian Corvin is published by The Manuscript Publisher and available to buy online, in print and e-book editions. Further information is available from the websites of the author and the publisher.

Signed copies will also be available at the launch to take place at the Irish Writers' Centre on Parnell Square, Dublin on Thursday, 6 October starting 6.30pm. Make a note in your diary. Download your invitation here. For directions to the Irish Writers' Centre, see map.

H.G. Wells - born 150 years ago today (21 September 1866)

George Charles Beresford
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Herbert George (H.G.) Wells was born 150 years ago today, on 21 September 1866. A prolific author and writer across genres that include fiction and non-fiction, he applied his mind to just about every field of human enquiry. He was outspoken on many issues of the day and his views were eagerly listened to – by politicians and public alike.

He is recognised (along with Jules Verne) as one of the founders of science-fiction and his contributions to this genre are mostly responsible for making him a household name. War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau are as much enjoyed today, in their original form, as they were upon publication, over 100 years ago. If that was not enough, they have been endlessly adapted for stage, screen, radio and other media. His near-namesake, Orson Welles, famously broadcast a radio adaptation of War of the World in October 1940, the response to which has become the stuff of legend.

A prolific writer throughout his adult life, Wells is, nevertheless, best and most fondly remembered for what would be considered his first work. Little more than a novella, The Time Machine was first published in 1895, although an early version of it appeared as a short story in 1888, under the title, The Chronic Argonauts. In it, Wells postulates the ultimate fate of humanity and the planet that it dwells upon, considering the ramifications of a society basing its orientation on blind obedience to, what some might consider to be the fate to which it is ordained. The views presented and conclusions drawn remain curiously fascinating today, even with the passage of time.

"Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change." - from The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (1895)

His particular skill as a storyteller was to devise themes and then use them as a larger device, to convey a sense of morality, foreboding or harbinger of things to come. It is a format that many have followed but few have emulated. His science fiction (or scientific romances as he called them) are based on a true understanding of scientific principles – something that he possessed in abundance – but also, deeply rooted in real word concerns. His other novels, such as A History of Mr Polly and Kipps, reflect his preoccupation with social class and what he saw as the restrictive, detrimental and ultimately ruinous consequences for a society based on it.

Of course, Wells himself had humble beginnings. The fourth child of parents who worked as domestic servants for most of their lives, his early education was sporadic and based on whatever his parents could afford to pay for. He served an unhappy apprenticeship in this teenage years, working 13-hour days and sleeping in dormitories with other apprentices. All of this could not but have left a mark on his personality and temperament. His adult years and his literary efforts therefore, were devoted to finding cures for various social and other ills, as he encountered them. He was an advocate of World Government and devoted much time to investigating ways that it could be realised.

In a way, just as Wells' life straddles the 19th and 20th century, so too, his thinking and his ideas encapsulate the hopes, dreams and ambitions of the period in which he lived and worked. Much of what he anticipated has come to fruition, even if not entirely in the way that he might have conceived. Still, there is much else in his body of work that may indicate 'the shape of things to come', all making for an enduring enigma.

Centenary of the Birth of Roald Dahl (1916-1990)

By Hans van Dijk / Anefo
(Derived from Nationaal Archief)
[CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Roald Dahl, authors of novels, short stories, screenplays that have appealed to audiences worldwide and across generations.

Born in Wales, to Norwegian parents (he was named after the polar explorer, Roald Amundsen and not, as has been suggested, out of some kind of conceit not to be knows as 'Ronald'!), Dahl grew up in a household where Norwegian was the spoken language and English therefore, was effectively a second language for him.

He enjoyed/suffered the benefits of an English public school education, where he excelled at sports, being exceptionally tall (as an adult, he stood a towering 6" 6') and also honed a love of literature during these years. The stature that he would attain as a literary figure was only hinted at during his school years however. One of his English teachers observed in a school report, "I have never met anybody who so persistently writes words meaning the exact opposite of what is intended."

The Second World War would see him serve as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He married twice - to actress, Patricia Neal, with whom he had five children and later, to Felicity "Liccy" Crosland, who remained with him until his death in 1990.

Dahl's literary output adapted quite well to the media of TV and cinema and it is these adaptation that have probably had most to do with making him a household name. Even people who have barely so much as picked up a book are likely to be familiar with his work in some form. His short story collection, Tales of the Unexpected, published in 1979, was adapted to a successful TV series of the same name, which ran during the 1980s - with Dahl even presenting some of the early episodes.

It is as a writer of children's fiction (including works such as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG) that Dahl most excelled, demonstrating a keen sense of childhood mischief. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest in this genre. His storytelling exhibits an "unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters. His books champion the kind-hearted, and feature an underlying warm sentiment." (Source: Wikipedia).

The centenary of Roald Dahl's birth comes a matter of weeks after the death of actor, Gene Wilder, who portrayed one of Dahl's most enduring characters in the eponymously titled, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (a 1971 film adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). Dahl, however, was reportedly unhappy with the film adaptation of the script that he provided. This would lead him to 'disown' the film. Reasons suggested for this have been ascribed to a view that "it placed too much emphasis on Willy Wonka and not enough on Charlie" and also, the casting of Gene Wilder instead of Spike Milligan, who was Dahl's choice to take the role. (Source: BBC website - Willy Wonka's everlasting film plot).

It was Wilder, apparently, who came up with the idea for the titular character's dramatic entrance - pretending to be a frail old man, hobbling on a stick until making a forward somersault to the acclaim of worried but relieved onlookers. "I knew that from then on, the audience wouldn't know if I was lying or telling the truth," Wilder said many years later. There is proof, perhaps, in this anecdote, that while great minds don't always think alike, it is still no reason why can't entertain and each be masters of their respective trades.

Road Dahl was born on 13 September 1916. He died 23 November 1990 but his work truly lives on. Over 250 million copies of his books have sold worldwide.

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)

By Charles G.Y. King (1854-1937)
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The world of children's literature is marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of one of its most famous and enduring figures. Beatrix Potter, the English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist was born on this day in 1866. Her children's tales are more popular than ever - few who are reading this will not have at least some distant childhood memory of characters such as Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, the Tailor of Gloucester, Benjamin Bunny, Squirrel Nutkin, Jeremy Fisher, to name but a few.

Her entire literary canon consists of over 30 books, including the 24 tales that continue to captivate and delight succeeding generations of young children. And it doesn't end there. In 2015, an almost completed, unpublished manuscript was discovered among her archives. The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots is due to be published later this year, in September, by Frederick Warne & Co, the publisher of the original series of Potter's children's tales though these days, it operates as an imprint of Penguin Books.

Potter's work is most clearly influenced by an abiding passion for natural history, which was nurtured from an early age and stayed with her throughout her life. When she eventually gave up writing, it was to devote herself to farming and country living. She is credited with preserving much of the land that now constitutes the Lake District National Park in North West England. Upon her death, in 1943, she left most of her property to the National Trust.

Although she herself died childless, her writing style lends itself well to young audiences. Her deep and abiding interest in the natural sciences is conveyed in a manner that is lively, inventive and refuses to be dull, packed as it is with a sense of earthy realism.

Beatrix Potter
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Her success, both critical and commercial, is a reflection of her distinct talent as a writer and illustrator. It was also a product of a certain business sense that she applied to all of her ventures. She had a hands-on approach, both to her writing and publishing activities. Potter was one of the first authors to recognise and capitalise on the merchandising possibilities of her books, patenting and licensing a range of toys, dolls, board games, colouring books based on the characters that she created.

The first editions of The Tale of Peter Rabbit were self-published by Potter, until she found a publisher who not only saw the potential, but also shared her vision for 'the bunny book' as it was called. This finally happened in October 1902, following numerous rejections, both from publishers but also from Potter herself, who was initially hesitant about adding colour illustrations to the story.

It proved to be the right decision. Colour illustration was becoming both popular and affordable and the book was an overnight success. Today, it has been translated into 36 languages and is estimated to have sold over 45 million copies worldwide.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Today, 23 April, is the day traditionally associated with the birth (?) and death of one of the most instantly recognisable names in English and indeed, world literature. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) of Stratford-upon-Avon breathed his last on this date in 1616. That is, four hundred years ago today and his works remain enduringly popular, just as they were in his lifetime. Not many authors, poets, playwrights can claim as much and, as if to rub salt in the wounds, he also seems to have profited from it all: his will shows that he died quite wealthy.

The Chandos portrait, which may or may not depict William Shakespeare (1564-1616).
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

That much at least, is one of the relatively few ascertainable facts about William Shakespeare, in spite of the fame that has surrounded his name over the years and, indeed, centuries. Take his date of birth for example; it is not recorded but a strong body of evidence suggests that his life came full circle on the same day. As if to add to a kind of symmetry that is almost poetic, the birth/death of the person often regarded as England's national poet also coincides with feast day associated with St. George's - often regarded as England's patron saint.

An engraving by Martin Droeshout (1601-1650) described by a contemporary as a good likeness.
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Unlike St. George however, whose very existence is a matter of speculation, the personage of William Shakespeare is, indeed, testified to, even if it too remains clouded in a certain amount of ambiguity and doubt. For despite his enduring fame, an air of mystery continues to hang over his life and legacy, leading some to cast doubt over that very life and legacy. Even his authorship of the 38 plays, 154 sonnets and two long narrative poems ascribed to him have been called into question. Since his death, speculation and debate has raged, with theories ranging from the bizarre to the intriguing. Furthermore, it shows no sign of abating.

At the same time, it is this body of work that provides the only definitive proof as to who was William Shakespeare. They remain relevant, not because of what they tell us about the author but, because of what they tell us about the world that he saw. A contemporary of Shakespeare, Ben Jonson (1572-1637) observed that "he was not of an age, but for all time."

Exactly what this means is, hopefully, a theme that we will return to again and again, as people continue to enjoy his legacy, interpret it and re-interpret it anew.

Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855): 200th anniversary of her birth

Charlotte Brontë, novelist and poet, senior member of the famous literary trio of sisters, was born on this day in 1816.

George Richmond [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

While not the eldest of Brontë sisters (she was preceded by two sisters who died prematurely; a fate that seems to have plagued the family), she was the eldest of the three who survived into adulthood and went on to achieve literary success. In order to do this, they felt it necessary to disguise their identities, at least initially. Charlotte gave their reasoning thus:

Averse to personal publicity, we veiled our own names under those of Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell; the ambiguous choice being dictated by a sort of conscientious scruple at assuming Christian names positively masculine, while we did not like to declare ourselves women, because – without at that time suspecting that our mode of writing and thinking was not what is called "feminine" – we had a vague impression that authoresses are liable to be looked on with prejudice; we had noticed how critics sometimes use for their chastisement the weapon of personality, and for their reward, a flattery, which is not true praise. [source: Wikipedia]

As well as being the eldest of the three, Charlotte was the first of the sisters to achieve literary recognition, with the publication of Jane Eyre in 1847. She also survived them when both Emily and Anne, following their brother Branwell, all died within a eight month period.

By Patrick Branwell Brontë (died 1848)
[Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

In addtion to Jane Eyre, her most famous work, two other novels, Shirley and Villette, were published during her lifetime. The Professor, her first novel (which had been rejected by publishers though not without words of encouragement that obviously had the intended effect) was published posthumously, along with other writings that include Emma, an unfinished novel.

By Chick Bowen at en.wikipedia; Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855)
[Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

In 1854, she accepted a proposal of marriage from a family friend, Arthur Bell Nicholls (from whom she had taken her nom de plume). The couple honeymooned in Banagher, Co. Offaly. The family's Irish connections are, of course, well known. Their father, Patrick Brontë (born on St. Patrick's Day in 1777), hailed from County Down. He married a Cornish woman and while the Brontë sisters' literary output may seem intimately connected with the Yorkshire countryside, where they resided for pretty much all of their lives, they were, in fact blow-ins to that area. In the case of Charlotte, it has even been said that' she spoke with an Irish accent'.

She became pregnant shortly after her marriage but her health also started to decline. She died, with her unborn child, on 31 March 1855, aged 38, three weeks before her 39th birthday.

To mark her bicentennial year, the Brontë Society and the Brontë Parsonage Museum has organised a series of events. Furthermore, they have even put in place a "five-year programme celebrating the bicentenaries of the births of each of the Brontë siblings: Charlotte in 2016, Branwell in 2017, Emily in 2018 and Anne in 2020. In 2019, we will be commemorating Patrick and the 200th anniversary of his invitation to take up his post at Haworth Parsonage."

William Morris (1834-1896), Poet and Designer, is Honoured with Google Doodle

George Frederic Watts [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Since the inception of the Google Doodle, authors and writers have figured prominently among the list of honourees. Today it is the turn of the Victorian artist, designer, poet, publisher, William Morris who was born on this day in 1834. He was also a prominent figure in the socialist movement that swept Britain, along with many other countries in the 19th century with the onset of industrialisation.

Though best known in his day for his poetry, his posthumous legacy is said to lie chiefly in his designs, which appear to have found a new lease of life in the internet age, as evidenced by Google's tribute. Accounting for that legacy, Jonathan Jones in today's The Guardian says that he "dedicated his life to inventing beautiful and useful products for the modern world ... showing that mass production – of a kind – can be beautiful."

Morris himself, perhaps summed up his own philosophy in the quote, "If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." (source: Wikiquote)

His life and legacy is kept alive today by the William Morris Society, founded in 1955 in London, England with chapters today to be found around the world.

Book Launch: Melodies at Eventide by Rex Lee. A Memoir about Overcoming Disability

In the days before scientific advances and the accompanying rise of modern conveniences made life easier, people born with severely limiting disabilities relied very much upon compassion, understanding and networks of support in order to make their way in the world. A soon to be published volume of memoirs, Melodies at Eventide by Rex Lee, is a personal account of somebody who overcame disability, never allowing it to limit his outlook or narrow his horizons.

Out of desperation was born the motivation to embrace the philosophy of physical and mental compensation: by finding a faculty for the one he lost or never had. Rex is living proof that this can overcome most obstacles to leading a normal and independent life. It has in his own words been 'a privileged existence'. - friend and colleague, Peter McKevitt (from the Foreword to this edition)

Rex's story is also the story of Ireland as a country striving to assert itself on the world stage, overcoming barriers and obstacles that history had put in the way. His account spans much of period following Independence. Through his own involvement and activism (including work with organisations such as Macra na Feirme and the Irish Farmers' Association) he both witnessed and played a part in the making and shaping of the Irish society that has been handed down to us today.

The book will be formally launched by Fergus Finlay, CEO of Barnardos Ireland, on Tuesday, 9 February at Kells Public Library (corner of Maudlin Street and Carrick Street in Kells, Co. Meath). The evening commences at 7pm. Light refreshments will be available and signed copies of Rex's memoir will be on sale.

Melodies at Eventide by Rex Lee is published by The Manuscript Publisher (ISBN: 978-0-9576729-7-0) and is available to buy online. RRP €12.99 plus P&P. An e-book edition is to follow soon.

Robert Burns (1759-1796) - pioneer of the Romantic movement and Scotland's national poet

Alexander Nasmyth
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Today marks the 257th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, also regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement and inspiration to so many, right down to the present day. Burns wrote in both the English and Scots languages.

The occasion of Burn's birthday is traditionally marked, in Scotland and other places, with a Burns Supper, first held in 1801, on the fifth anniversary of his death. Burns Suppers, we are told, may be formal or informal but typically include feasts consisting of haggis, Scotch whisky and recitations of Burns' poetry, usually commencing with his Address to a Haggis.

According to just one of the many websites dedicated to the life, work and memory of Robert Burns, "The haggis is generally carried in on a silver salver at the start of the proceedings. As it is brought to the table a piper plays a suitable, rousing accompaniment. One of the invited artistes then recites the poem before the theatrical cutting of the haggis with the ceremonial knife." - from Alexandria Burns Club (founded 1884)

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye worthy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

Fair and full is your honest, jolly face,
Great chieftain of the sausage race!
Above them all you take your place,
Stomach, tripe, or intestines:
Well are you worthy of a grace
As long as my arm.