I’m down in Brighton for a marketing conference – yes, I know, the glamour – and I took the opportunity to sneak off to Colin Page Books. It’s really such a fab bookshop. Make sure you get there if you have a chance (and don’t mind a spiral staircase). I came away with these seven books…
Virginia Woolf by Alexandra Harris
I had an email exchange with Alexandra ages ago, when I was writing about Virginia Woolf and she was a humble DPhil student at Oxford, but I still haven’t managed to read one of her books. This isn’t the first on my shelf, and I suspect it won’t be the last. But it would be a nice full circle to read her biography of our shared love, Virginia W.
The Listeners by Walter de la Mare
I do love these little Constable editions, and I also love ‘The Listeners’ by de la Mare – so it’s about time that I read the rest of the collection, since me liking poetry happens so seldom.
On the Art of Reading by Arthur Quiller-Couch
I haven’t yet read his book On the Art of Writing, but now at least I have the companion volume waiting in the wings.
Long Life by Nigel Nicholson
To add to my Bloomsbury shelf…
Bloomsbury by Quentin Bell
…along with this one! And both of them by members of the family, of course.
Figures in Modern Literature by J.B. Priestley
Priestley seems to think the only figures in modern literature are men, and some haven’t lasted that well (who is Maurice Hewlett? George Santayana?), but it will be fun to hear his views on Arnold Bennett, Walter de la Mare, A E Housman, etc.
William’s Crowded Hours by Richmal Crompton
I’ve been slowly accumulating these over the years, when I come across them affordably, and must start re-reading them. There’s nothing quite so joyous as a William book.
Thanks again, Brighton, for your excellent spoils! (And GBBO recap will come, eventually, though I’m off to Bristol as soon as I’m back from Brighton, so… not all that soon.)