Category: Uncategorized

Cosy

May 3, 2026

I see that Philippa Perry is publishing a ‘cosy’ murder story. It features a character apparently based on the Rev. Richard Coles, a neighbour and friend and also of course another celebrity who has written cosy murder stories. Perhaps Richard Osman pops round from time to time?

Now I don’t read detective stories. I don’t want to rant about celebrities using their position to stick their elbows in the faces of more deserving writers. All of these people are clever, talented, and genuinely interesting. But they don’t have to struggle to get their fiction published. Couldn’t they use that opportunity to do something just slightly more ambitious than cosy village murders? Apparently not: it seems they still want to avoid even the most minimal literary risk. Shall we draw on our intelligence and complex life experiences to craft a novel with insight, originality and flair? No, no: what if it flopped? Let’s stay cosy. I suppose we should perhaps be grateful they didn’t all produce more godawful celebrity children’s books.

Really, guys, raise your game, as you are surely capable of doing. Otherwise people might start to think you’re not just greedy and vain, but also terrible cowards.

Plaza Prizes

April 20, 2026

This report in the Guardian suggests that the Plaza Prizes has closed down in chaos, with judges and prize-winners unpaid. I have occasionally featured these contests in my lists in recent years, most recently in July 2025 which seems to be when the problems arose. The competitions seemed reputable – I hope none of my visitors been affected by all this, and if so, I’m sorry.

On Ó Rathaille

January 25, 2025

Went to the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith for the launch of Brian O’Connor’s new book Wave, a translation with parallel texts of poems by Aogán Ó Rathaille (c.1670–1729). Brian (on the right of the picture) was joined by Declan Kiberd to talk about Ó Rathaille and read some of the poems. There was also some traditional music.

Ó Rathaille considered himself the last of the traditional bards of Ireland, and among other things developed the poetic form of the Aisling, where the poet meets a female spiritual embodiment of Ireland who laments the country’s misfortunes. Displaced from his poetic post after the Battle of the Boyne, which led to a general purge of the Catholic nobility, Ó Rathaille found his hopes of restoration were cruelly disappointed and he was reduced to poverty (he is the beggar referred to in Yeats’ The Curse of Cromwell). His misery did at least provoke some of his finest poetry.

As a master of form, alliteration, and verbal music, Ó Rathaille is a particular challenge to translators. I can’t assess their technical accuracy, but Brian’s versions are a very good read.

Short Pause

February 26, 2024

I’m dealing with a combination of things at the moment that are taking up all my attention, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to focus on writing or other creative stuff for a few weeks. But I’ll be back!