Writer in Residence
Nicky Lambert's blogs – 2018-19
August 2019
Heroes and Villains – Monsters and Heroines!
This blog evolved through reading Heroes (398.210938), written by FoWHL's former patron, Stephen Fry, as a follow up to his earlier book, Mythos (398.20938).
Heroes is a recounting of the Greek myths in an accessible and informal way. I enjoyed the archetypal stories of jealousy, sacrifice and betrayal, but it set me thinking about heroes and villains more generally. In our library there are many biographies of exceptional people, but few which confidently describe their protagonist as an uncontested ‘hero’. Meanwhile, the search for villainy proved considerably easier!
How to Kill (364.1524), by Kris Hollington, you will be relieved to discover, is a definitive history of assassinations rather than a ‘how to guide’. Did you know that between 1950-2000 there were over 4,000 known assassinations worldwide, using methods from exploding clams to poison toilet paper? Or that only 1.4% of these killings were for money, and that most occurred on a Friday evening between 6 – 9pm!
Simon Baron-Cohen’s Zero Degrees of Empathy (179) forms a good companion read as it responds to Hollington's historical approach with a thoughtful and intellectual meditation on cruelty and evil – both of which he attributes to the erosion of empathy.
Oddly a library search finds that most books with ‘monster’ in the title are in the children’s section. But then if we must all face the scarier aspects of life, library books are as good an introduction as any! However this wasn’t quite what I was looking for, so I returned to the adult floor and found Scary Monsters and Super Creeps – In Search of the World’s Most Hideous Beasts (001.944). Written by Dom Joly, it’s actually a pleasant read, if a bit self-regarding, ‘Laugh inside’ rather than ‘laugh out loud’ funny. Without wanting to spoil the ending, Joly travels from the Himalayas to Loch Ness looking for everything from Bigfoot to Yeti. He talks to strange people, gets lost and doesn’t find, well, anything very much!
So if you are looking to get to grips with monsters, Matt Kaplan’s The Science of Monsters (001.944) is a better bet; full of thought-provoking asides about why we need monsters, how we create them and whether in fact we ourselves, as humans, have become the very things we fear.
For those wanting to find inner strength in the face of villainy, Samantha Ellis offers sage advice in How to be a Heroine (809.393522). I felt for Ellis as she describes finding that whilst Lizzie Bennet has stood the test of time, other heroines like Catherine Earnshaw seem selfish to her now, rather than wild and passionate as they did when they she first encountered them in print. Ellis is rueful in her recognition that the characters we find inspiring change as we experience more of life, but celebratory in her naming of Sylvia Plath and Patti Smith as women who helped her find out who she could become.
Whether you consider villains and monsters as cautionary tales, or see heroes and heroines as sources of inspiration, there is much food for thought here in your library, not least that heroism and villainy have many characteristics that run parallel, and that most characters, real or imagined, contain elements of both.
July 2019
Adventures in the Library
One of the first things I do when I come into the library is check the returns shelf and trolleys; partly because I'm returning my own haul of books but mostly because I find other people’s books choices fascinating.
You’ll often find a driving test theory book here because it’s often the most borrowed book in the system (second only to Paula Hawkins' best seller The Girl on the Train, according to the stats). Next to it, on the last occasion I looked, was the much-borrowed Life in the UK Test and Study Guide (323.620941). In fact it was tracing this book to its source – the mysterious and expansive section called ‘Society’ that sparked this blog. But I digress!
Returning to the Life in the UK test book, it’s interesting to see what is considered essential knowledge. For example the reading list designed to distill Britishness into book form recommends Bridget Jones Diary, The Wind in the Willows, and Harry Potter...
So can you define the nature of a people?
The English: a Field Guide, by Matt Rudd (305.821) attempts it, but soon meanders around in gently humorous clichés before coming to a rueful non-conclusion. So far, so British.
A more rigorous historical attempt is made by David Starkey in Magna Carta, the True Story Behind the Charter. (323.440992). I wasn’t aware of rumours and falsehoods concerning the charter, but this is an enjoyable read for both students of history and those who use the past as a lens to understand current issues. Starkey’s somewhat pettish voice threads throughout his take on this defining document and it is all the better for a personal perspective. It is a socio-cultural consideration of where we’ve come from and where, he fears, we may end up. I had a strangely comforting thought as I turned the last page of this book. No matter what any one of us achieves in our lives – success, happiness, fame – David Starkey will always slightly look down on us all. It’s like a shared cup of tea!
A more thrusting polemic on the Society shelves can be found in Nick Cohen’s Waiting for the Etonians: Report’s from the Sickbed of Liberal England (320.510941). Cohen doesn’t hold back from delivering a stinging critique of where he sees the social fabric beginning to unravel, and whilst this book is slightly dated he proves prescient in predicting the present troubles. I enjoy the aggressive pace and wit in his writing but was also pleasantly surprised to also find some sensitive and moving passages on the plight of people caught in the churn of change – in this case divorced middle class women.
The attempt to understand society by looking at its parts is further encapsulated by Lynsey Hanley’s Estates: an Intimate History (363.5850941). I loved this book, finding it forthright, vivid and memorable. It is an informed look at society through the spaces in which it houses some it’s most vulnerable. I was particularly impressed by the exploration of the impact that living in a marginalised space can have on the way you might think about the world and your possibilities within it – ‘mauer im kopf’ ... ‘the wall in the head’.
These books are thought provoking, but they won’t deliver much in the way of positivity. For that you need my last pick, David Hendy’s Life on Air: a History of Radio Four (791.440941). This book is frank, funny and surprising. One extraordinary tale recalls an elderly woman who, in 1988, travelled by bus from Blackpool to shoot at a BBC commissioner because of her inability to revive Radio Four. Another quotes from a listener in 1970 who complains, ‘I suppose you are trying to be "with it’"with decadence, communism and a complete lowering of all standards’.
That's the joy of our ‘Society’ section – all human life is there!
June 2019
Books and Wellbeing
Reading is one of my great pleasures and part of that joy comes from the ability to lose myself when reading a novel in someone else’s perspective and to learn and grow when reading nonfiction. Books have long been associated with wellbeing, an inscription found above the door to an ancient Greek library entrance called it a place of ‘healing for the soul’. In more recent times psychology and literature have been blended together to provide benefits to good health in the form of Bibliotherapy. The idea that books and reading can help make people feel better is no surprise to people who read regularly and it seems obvious that libraries are well placed to support initiatives using this approach.
The McPin Foundation(a specialist mental health research charity) have been evaluating a successful library-based project to address loneliness in Suffolk. The Open Spacegroups are co-facilitated by a partnership of Suffolk Libraries, NSFT (Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust), Julian Support, Richmond Fellowship and Suffolk Mind. The findings so far, suggest that the sessions have had real benefits for people experiencing loneliness and mental health difficulties by raising awareness, providing opportunities for community interactions and signposting to other appropriate services.
The charity Reading Wellsupports people to use reading in order to live well and maintain their health. The books that are recommended are all chosen and endorsed by health professionals, as well as by people living with the experiences explored – as well as by their relatives and carers. Within this umbrella organisation are specific initiatives, one that caught my eye was "The Fresh List"devised by students at the University of Exeter.
September is soon approaching and with it a new cohort of first year university students will arrive to take up their places in academic institutions everywhere. Some will be better prepared to cope than others and in any case leaving home and living independently can be stressful for anyone. Current students recognised the pressure of this transition and drew on their own experiences to create a reading list for students.It comprises of twelve books, supported with information collected through a student survey to help new starters thrive.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have conducted reviewswhich found that self-help books can help people understand and manage common conditions and as you would expect our library has some good options on fitness, good food, wellbeing and mental health. ‘The Tiredness Cure’by Dr Sohere Roked (613) is an interesting read for anyone who has that permanent state of tiredness that permeates many Londoners! It has chapters on the different causes of tiredness and takes a holistic and practical view of solutions ... fair warning it also has some stomach churning information on milk production that may push you into the soy milk isle for ever!
A Beginners Guide to Being Mentalby Natasha Devon (616.89) is a brilliant overview of mental health, funny irreverent and divided into small readable sections organised alphabetically. It covers everything from services and interventions to special populations - gender, sexuality, young people to more general wellbeing issues like mindfulness and sleep. How to deal with stress by Stephen Palmer and Cary Cooper (616.98) offers a step by step guide to improving your wellbeing using CBT techniques and Dr Juliet McGrattan’s book ‘Sorted - The Active Women’s Guide to Health’ (613.04244) covers everything from pregnancy to menopause. It stands out by offering accessible, wise advice on living well in a female body.
Plato described the arts as a gift to bring our souls back in to balance, while DH Lawrence wrote that we ‘shed our sickness’in books. If the ‘day to day’is getting you down, schedule a stop into your library as part of your self-care and see the benefits for yourself.
May 2019
The community of books
It’s strange that reading a book is such an intensely personal activity, yet talking about a book you love can unite complete strangers in an instant (remember to check the library notice boards for groups that meet in the library).
If you are reading this blog you are no doubt already aware of the ways in which technology and reading can interact. Kindles and other devices have changed the way that we consume books, and increasingly library services are available online. You can search and reserve books from your bed and be notified when to go and collect them. In addition there are also books in the library that can help you brush up on your online skills and access fellow book lovers who proliferate on social media.
When I picked up Jim Gatenby’s ‘Online security for the older generation’ (005.8) I thought it was rather basic until I realised that I didn’t know how to work the private browsing window on my iPad and swiftly changed my mind. I'm not sure if this means I’m now officially old or just that everyone needs to keep updated around online safety!
A great example of a book supporting social media use is Roger Laing’s ‘iPad made Easy’ (004.1675). It is well laid out and when you are flicking back and forth from a screen to the printed page when you are following instructions this makes a world of difference. The book is divided up into sections targeted on the activities you might want to learn how to do ... for example listening to music, watching tv, contacting friends etc. I appreciated the fact that it emphasised the possibility to create, as well as consume culture... there are helpful sections on making music and taking pictures.
I’m not predisposed to like books that assume I’m an idiot... but the ‘Internet for Dummies’ by John Levine and Margaret Levine Young (004.678) is an exception. This book has excellent advice for interacting online and everyone should read it before signing up to online message boards. I chuckled my way through the advice on the ‘how to avoid looking like a dimwit’ section. Sections on safe online shopping, accessing the art galleries of the world, engaging with citizen science projects or giving back by online mentoring offer positive uses for social media which is an often derided part of modern life.
In terms of social media and reading, Instagram has a plethora of accounts that will bring you news of books that you can request. Children’s books which are often so beautifully illustrated look fabulous on this platform, see thepicturebookpost or childrenslibrarylady for reading recommendations and child friendly activities.
Specialist bookshops are another great way to enrich your reading lists. Try persephonebooks who publish beautiful editions from 20th century women writers, londonbookarts for art publications or dauntbooks for an independent take on the world of literature.
If you like a podcast thebookstorepodcast is a must if only for their tagline ‘it’s like a book club, but we actually read the book’.
The GuardianBookspodcast is a weekly roundup that will keep you up to date and, lastly, don’t forget that Twitter isn’t just for shouting at strangers! You can connect to your local community, celebrate books and libraries and act to ensure that the joy of reading is accessible to all - and of course you could follow @FoWHLNW6 to stay in touch with what is happening in the real world!
The @NetworkLibrary and @WELBooks give local community perspectives. @WorldBookDayUK and @WorldBookNight celebrate books and reading and you could try @ReadingAgency, @DoorstepLib and @LibTaskforce to support libraries as the vital resource they are for us all.
Have you any recommendations for online book lovers? If you do, tweet @FoWHLNW6 and let us know.
March 2019
Are you well-read?
Most people like to think of themselves as well-read, but can the urge to engage with the best, the most important or the most influential literature be met by one of the stranger genre of self help books – the ones that tell you the ‘books you must read’.
Surely, no one has to read anything. What you read is entirely your own choice. Plus, don’t most of us dislike being made to feel guilty for not reading a classic? That said, a good recommendation can take you outside your comfort zone and it’s sometimes interesting to hear what people think you should be doing in terms of your reading.
Peter Boxall’s 1001 Books you must read before you die (library catalogue 028.1) is a massive tome that makes you contemplate both your imminent demise as well as all the essential reading you’ll never accomplish, while Nick Rennison’s much shorter 100 must-read life-changing books (028.01) is more manageable and optimistic.
Boxall orders his recommendations chronologically, each book having its own page and a brief exposition. I was aghast to see Don Quixote recommended. Although certainly an important work, I’m still recovering from exposure to it during my formative years. I wouldn’t describe it as ‘readable’. It’s not even a pleasant experience – unless you enjoy 800 pages of a man with dementia getting robbed and beaten up.
Still, to each his own.
Rennison meanwhile includes non-fiction books and some useful reading lists. Themes such concepts and ideas, and aspects of society contain some left field choices. One recommendation, Altered States of Consciousness, definitely appeals.
For a different approach, Melvin Bragg’s 12 Books that changed the World (028) explores each title in terms of its global impact. I’m totally on board with Marie Stopes’ Married Love as a world changer. As for the Rule Book of Association Football... despite Bragg’s bold case I am not persuaded.
Andrew Taylor covers similar ground in The 50 Most Influential Books in Human History (011.73). I thought Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring an excellent inclusion and one I wish I’d thought of when considering my list.
Another good basis for choosing is Time Out’s 1000 Books to Change Your Life (028.8). This follows Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man, recommending different books for different times of your life.
Well put together, with lots of extras to keep you engaged, it includes a list of the best first lines, and the best celebrity recommendations. Who'd have guessed, for instance, that Dickens’ David Copperfield, was not only was Sigmund Freud’s favourite book but also Nigella Lawson's?
So whether you balk at recommended reading lists, or are a completist in terms of literary bragging, these books do actually make for some good reading in themselves, even if only to prompt a fierce debate about your own must-reads.
February 2019
Are you romantic?
Whilst celebrating Valentine’s Day this year I was coolly informed I was ‘not romantic’. I shook my head and denied such a heinous character flaw but on reporting this unjust accusation to friends (just to be certain) I was surprised to find the kindest response was muffled laughter. I still have my doubts but not to be deterred I’ve set about rectifying this deficit and it has inspired me to take ‘Romance’ as my inspiration for this blog.
Romance is nebulous idea. Some people think of red roses. Others find it in their partner washing up without being asked to. When I first thought about romantic books I remembered loving classics like Wuthering Heights. However on re-reading it what struck me was not the romance but how horrible everyone one is, so I used some different strategies to select a few less obvious choices to help me up my game.
Firstly I used the tried and tested method of asking everyone I could find. I was recommended Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire by Carol Dyhouse (library catalogue 305.4209). It’s a fascinating read covering female desire from boy bands to the sheikh. It explores the ways that romance exists alongside commerce, practicality and power - I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (813.54) was found in a few of those ‘top ten most romantic books’ lists and has been on my ‘must read’ list for a long time. It’s a beautifully written, tragic tale. I’m not sure it’s romantic in a ‘starry-eyed’ sense but it certainly is beautifully written, moving and insightful.
The last one I found using the library catalogue to find the most lurid title possible - I choose Terri Brisbin’s historical romance ‘Kidnapped by the Highland Rogue’ (Rom). It did not disappoint, although I suspect more emphasis was laid on the romance than the history in this story. There are warnings about judging a book by its cover ... however this cover is an exact pictorial representation of its content - you have been warned!
Honestly, this style of writing is not for me but on asking around I came across a fair number of people who count a romance novel as a guilty pleasure. A burly European colleague had nothing but praise for them having used them to learn ‘conversational English’. The mind boggles!
After my adventure through romance courtesy of my local library I’m not sure I’m any more ‘hearts and flowers’ than I was before, but I am certainly better read!
If you are wondering what to read next, try randomly picking a theme and trying out different types of books. It can be a revelation and after all there’s nothing as romantic than a surprise!
January 2019
West Hampstead to the World
Now that Christmas and the New Year are behind us and the light is returning, I feel the urge to come out from under the duvet and explore. Naturally I started in the library and, from the local history section, enjoyed ‘Hampstead Heath to Primrose Hill’ (library index 942.142002), a no-nonsense account by Malcom Holmes, covering the development of the area from estate holdings into communities. It has remarkable photographs and whimsically notes that Lymington Road was once called Blackberry Way.
A different take on the past comes from a little book called ‘A Child’s Eye View of West Hampstead’ (942.142), a collection of oral history testaments from locals recalling their childhoods. It’s scope is limited but I found the personal perspectives fascinating... how we remember our past and what we think is important. Stories about navigating the closure of the Black Path on Good Friday (the Midland railway company who owned it did it to stop it from becoming a right of way) sit alongside Zeppelin raids during the First World War, sweet shops and grim memories of health before the NHS.
Now you’ve got your bearings, West Hampstead Library has a tempting range of guide books and London histories. As a quote from Pathfinder in ‘Afoot around London’ (1911) wisely observes ‘exploration begins at home’. We are fortunate to live in an amazing, diverse city, rich with the possibility for adventure, but when the everyday grind blinds us to it, a guide book can help us approach the familiar with new eyes.
John Rogers' book ‘This Other London’ (914.210486) is a quirky and personal narrative. A more organised approach is taken in ‘Walking Across London’ (914.210486) by Patrick Hamilton. Our closest walks in it are a jaunty 3 miles from Kings Cross to Camden Lock and an invigorating 12 1/2 miles from Holland Park to Hendon - don’t worry it is divided into 4 stages! As if he could read my mind, Hamilton helpfully notes toilet stops, refreshments, and the nearest underground stations.
Andrew Duncan’s ‘Secret London’ (914.210486) is tinged with romance for the past covering the lost London rivers and one of my favourites, the Kensington roof gardens. It’s written with clarity, packed full of interest and practical again including transport links.
If all this history isn’t inspiring you, seek out 'Lost in London: Adventures in the City's Wild Outdoors' (508.421) by Lucy Scott and Tina Smith, a beautifully written and illustrated guide to staying connected to nature in this busy city. It has everything from recommendations for local river, wetland and woodland walks to seasonal activities. I’ve been inspired by it to welcome 2019 by replanting the pots on my little balcony.
The local history section of our library offers a real sense of place and context and is a brilliant resource if you’ve started the year feeling a bit rootless or if you're trying to be more active. It is a part of the library that is easily overlooked, especially by locals, so do have a browse... you never know where it might lead.
December 2018
In praise of bad weather
I appreciate that these are not the words of a wild adventurer, but curling up with a good book when the weather outside is grim can be a cure-all. In fact, reading is even better when it’s bleak and raining. Bad weather is the perfect reason to get comfortable. In Iceland this simple pleasure is found in the phenomenon of the Jolabokaflod, the ‘Christmas book flood’, which is borne of the tradition of giving a book on Christmas Eve and then settling in to devour it.
So what to choose? What is a ‘good’ book? Something inspirational? Something from your ‘I ought to read that’ list, or worse still, the ‘I’m the only person who hasn’t read this yet' list.
No... this is a time for indulgence, for escape and entertainment, not for self-improvement. Reading for pleasure is simple – just read what you like. Read what interests you and take the odd chance. If what you love is a good old bodice-ripping romance, a spy caper or a historical sleuth, if that’s what makes you happy ... so celebrate it!
My guilty passion is a vintage detective novel. They are criticised as being lowbrow and formulaic but I love the ‘golden age’ duchesses: Overture to Death (Ngaio Marsh), Whose Body (Dorothy L Sayers), The Franchise Affair (Josephine Tey), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie) and Margery Allingham (Swiss Cottage library has a good selection).
I love their ability to sweep me along in a story. I relish the florid characterisations. If you try one you‘ll find unconventional detectives, likeable murderers, obsessed scientists, sensible artists and flawed heroes. You might be drawn in by the literary references often scattered throughout. You might find yourself appreciating a plot that rattles along and or testing yourself against the author to see if you can figure out ‘whodunit’… before all is revealed.
I’m also partial to the grey, subtle, human writing of George Simenon and West Hampstead Library has a fair few of the 75 Maigret novels to choose from. Try The Man on the Boulevard, The Saint-Fiacre Affair or Maigret and the Idle Burglar.
Stories about a bourgeois French policeman who permanently drinks and solves cases by empathising with criminals (his motto is ‘understand, don’t condemn’) may not feel an obvious choice but they are quite short and you may just find yourself drawn to Simenon’s sparse, naturalistic writing.
After a bereavement when my head was fuzzy with sadness and I couldn’t concentrate on anything, Simenon was the only author I could read. I especially love the way he builds atmosphere. It frequently rains in his work – the weather and its impact on the protagonists is described with a simplicity and grace that allows you to be part of that world.
There’s a very satisfying symmetry in being tucked up in West Hampstead and hearing the rain outside on a Parisian rooftop.
Escape, comfort and enjoyment – what book are you thinking about reading right now?
Heroes and Villains – Monsters and Heroines!
This blog evolved through reading Heroes (398.210938), written by FoWHL's former patron, Stephen Fry, as a follow up to his earlier book, Mythos (398.20938).
Heroes is a recounting of the Greek myths in an accessible and informal way. I enjoyed the archetypal stories of jealousy, sacrifice and betrayal, but it set me thinking about heroes and villains more generally. In our library there are many biographies of exceptional people, but few which confidently describe their protagonist as an uncontested ‘hero’. Meanwhile, the search for villainy proved considerably easier!
How to Kill (364.1524), by Kris Hollington, you will be relieved to discover, is a definitive history of assassinations rather than a ‘how to guide’. Did you know that between 1950-2000 there were over 4,000 known assassinations worldwide, using methods from exploding clams to poison toilet paper? Or that only 1.4% of these killings were for money, and that most occurred on a Friday evening between 6 – 9pm!
Simon Baron-Cohen’s Zero Degrees of Empathy (179) forms a good companion read as it responds to Hollington's historical approach with a thoughtful and intellectual meditation on cruelty and evil – both of which he attributes to the erosion of empathy.
Oddly a library search finds that most books with ‘monster’ in the title are in the children’s section. But then if we must all face the scarier aspects of life, library books are as good an introduction as any! However this wasn’t quite what I was looking for, so I returned to the adult floor and found Scary Monsters and Super Creeps – In Search of the World’s Most Hideous Beasts (001.944). Written by Dom Joly, it’s actually a pleasant read, if a bit self-regarding, ‘Laugh inside’ rather than ‘laugh out loud’ funny. Without wanting to spoil the ending, Joly travels from the Himalayas to Loch Ness looking for everything from Bigfoot to Yeti. He talks to strange people, gets lost and doesn’t find, well, anything very much!
So if you are looking to get to grips with monsters, Matt Kaplan’s The Science of Monsters (001.944) is a better bet; full of thought-provoking asides about why we need monsters, how we create them and whether in fact we ourselves, as humans, have become the very things we fear.
For those wanting to find inner strength in the face of villainy, Samantha Ellis offers sage advice in How to be a Heroine (809.393522). I felt for Ellis as she describes finding that whilst Lizzie Bennet has stood the test of time, other heroines like Catherine Earnshaw seem selfish to her now, rather than wild and passionate as they did when they she first encountered them in print. Ellis is rueful in her recognition that the characters we find inspiring change as we experience more of life, but celebratory in her naming of Sylvia Plath and Patti Smith as women who helped her find out who she could become.
Whether you consider villains and monsters as cautionary tales, or see heroes and heroines as sources of inspiration, there is much food for thought here in your library, not least that heroism and villainy have many characteristics that run parallel, and that most characters, real or imagined, contain elements of both.
July 2019
Adventures in the Library
One of the first things I do when I come into the library is check the returns shelf and trolleys; partly because I'm returning my own haul of books but mostly because I find other people’s books choices fascinating.
You’ll often find a driving test theory book here because it’s often the most borrowed book in the system (second only to Paula Hawkins' best seller The Girl on the Train, according to the stats). Next to it, on the last occasion I looked, was the much-borrowed Life in the UK Test and Study Guide (323.620941). In fact it was tracing this book to its source – the mysterious and expansive section called ‘Society’ that sparked this blog. But I digress!
Returning to the Life in the UK test book, it’s interesting to see what is considered essential knowledge. For example the reading list designed to distill Britishness into book form recommends Bridget Jones Diary, The Wind in the Willows, and Harry Potter...
So can you define the nature of a people?
The English: a Field Guide, by Matt Rudd (305.821) attempts it, but soon meanders around in gently humorous clichés before coming to a rueful non-conclusion. So far, so British.
A more rigorous historical attempt is made by David Starkey in Magna Carta, the True Story Behind the Charter. (323.440992). I wasn’t aware of rumours and falsehoods concerning the charter, but this is an enjoyable read for both students of history and those who use the past as a lens to understand current issues. Starkey’s somewhat pettish voice threads throughout his take on this defining document and it is all the better for a personal perspective. It is a socio-cultural consideration of where we’ve come from and where, he fears, we may end up. I had a strangely comforting thought as I turned the last page of this book. No matter what any one of us achieves in our lives – success, happiness, fame – David Starkey will always slightly look down on us all. It’s like a shared cup of tea!
A more thrusting polemic on the Society shelves can be found in Nick Cohen’s Waiting for the Etonians: Report’s from the Sickbed of Liberal England (320.510941). Cohen doesn’t hold back from delivering a stinging critique of where he sees the social fabric beginning to unravel, and whilst this book is slightly dated he proves prescient in predicting the present troubles. I enjoy the aggressive pace and wit in his writing but was also pleasantly surprised to also find some sensitive and moving passages on the plight of people caught in the churn of change – in this case divorced middle class women.
The attempt to understand society by looking at its parts is further encapsulated by Lynsey Hanley’s Estates: an Intimate History (363.5850941). I loved this book, finding it forthright, vivid and memorable. It is an informed look at society through the spaces in which it houses some it’s most vulnerable. I was particularly impressed by the exploration of the impact that living in a marginalised space can have on the way you might think about the world and your possibilities within it – ‘mauer im kopf’ ... ‘the wall in the head’.
These books are thought provoking, but they won’t deliver much in the way of positivity. For that you need my last pick, David Hendy’s Life on Air: a History of Radio Four (791.440941). This book is frank, funny and surprising. One extraordinary tale recalls an elderly woman who, in 1988, travelled by bus from Blackpool to shoot at a BBC commissioner because of her inability to revive Radio Four. Another quotes from a listener in 1970 who complains, ‘I suppose you are trying to be "with it’"with decadence, communism and a complete lowering of all standards’.
That's the joy of our ‘Society’ section – all human life is there!
June 2019
Books and Wellbeing
Reading is one of my great pleasures and part of that joy comes from the ability to lose myself when reading a novel in someone else’s perspective and to learn and grow when reading nonfiction. Books have long been associated with wellbeing, an inscription found above the door to an ancient Greek library entrance called it a place of ‘healing for the soul’. In more recent times psychology and literature have been blended together to provide benefits to good health in the form of Bibliotherapy. The idea that books and reading can help make people feel better is no surprise to people who read regularly and it seems obvious that libraries are well placed to support initiatives using this approach.
The McPin Foundation(a specialist mental health research charity) have been evaluating a successful library-based project to address loneliness in Suffolk. The Open Spacegroups are co-facilitated by a partnership of Suffolk Libraries, NSFT (Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust), Julian Support, Richmond Fellowship and Suffolk Mind. The findings so far, suggest that the sessions have had real benefits for people experiencing loneliness and mental health difficulties by raising awareness, providing opportunities for community interactions and signposting to other appropriate services.
The charity Reading Wellsupports people to use reading in order to live well and maintain their health. The books that are recommended are all chosen and endorsed by health professionals, as well as by people living with the experiences explored – as well as by their relatives and carers. Within this umbrella organisation are specific initiatives, one that caught my eye was "The Fresh List"devised by students at the University of Exeter.
September is soon approaching and with it a new cohort of first year university students will arrive to take up their places in academic institutions everywhere. Some will be better prepared to cope than others and in any case leaving home and living independently can be stressful for anyone. Current students recognised the pressure of this transition and drew on their own experiences to create a reading list for students.It comprises of twelve books, supported with information collected through a student survey to help new starters thrive.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have conducted reviewswhich found that self-help books can help people understand and manage common conditions and as you would expect our library has some good options on fitness, good food, wellbeing and mental health. ‘The Tiredness Cure’by Dr Sohere Roked (613) is an interesting read for anyone who has that permanent state of tiredness that permeates many Londoners! It has chapters on the different causes of tiredness and takes a holistic and practical view of solutions ... fair warning it also has some stomach churning information on milk production that may push you into the soy milk isle for ever!
A Beginners Guide to Being Mentalby Natasha Devon (616.89) is a brilliant overview of mental health, funny irreverent and divided into small readable sections organised alphabetically. It covers everything from services and interventions to special populations - gender, sexuality, young people to more general wellbeing issues like mindfulness and sleep. How to deal with stress by Stephen Palmer and Cary Cooper (616.98) offers a step by step guide to improving your wellbeing using CBT techniques and Dr Juliet McGrattan’s book ‘Sorted - The Active Women’s Guide to Health’ (613.04244) covers everything from pregnancy to menopause. It stands out by offering accessible, wise advice on living well in a female body.
Plato described the arts as a gift to bring our souls back in to balance, while DH Lawrence wrote that we ‘shed our sickness’in books. If the ‘day to day’is getting you down, schedule a stop into your library as part of your self-care and see the benefits for yourself.
May 2019
The community of books
It’s strange that reading a book is such an intensely personal activity, yet talking about a book you love can unite complete strangers in an instant (remember to check the library notice boards for groups that meet in the library).
If you are reading this blog you are no doubt already aware of the ways in which technology and reading can interact. Kindles and other devices have changed the way that we consume books, and increasingly library services are available online. You can search and reserve books from your bed and be notified when to go and collect them. In addition there are also books in the library that can help you brush up on your online skills and access fellow book lovers who proliferate on social media.
When I picked up Jim Gatenby’s ‘Online security for the older generation’ (005.8) I thought it was rather basic until I realised that I didn’t know how to work the private browsing window on my iPad and swiftly changed my mind. I'm not sure if this means I’m now officially old or just that everyone needs to keep updated around online safety!
A great example of a book supporting social media use is Roger Laing’s ‘iPad made Easy’ (004.1675). It is well laid out and when you are flicking back and forth from a screen to the printed page when you are following instructions this makes a world of difference. The book is divided up into sections targeted on the activities you might want to learn how to do ... for example listening to music, watching tv, contacting friends etc. I appreciated the fact that it emphasised the possibility to create, as well as consume culture... there are helpful sections on making music and taking pictures.
I’m not predisposed to like books that assume I’m an idiot... but the ‘Internet for Dummies’ by John Levine and Margaret Levine Young (004.678) is an exception. This book has excellent advice for interacting online and everyone should read it before signing up to online message boards. I chuckled my way through the advice on the ‘how to avoid looking like a dimwit’ section. Sections on safe online shopping, accessing the art galleries of the world, engaging with citizen science projects or giving back by online mentoring offer positive uses for social media which is an often derided part of modern life.
In terms of social media and reading, Instagram has a plethora of accounts that will bring you news of books that you can request. Children’s books which are often so beautifully illustrated look fabulous on this platform, see thepicturebookpost or childrenslibrarylady for reading recommendations and child friendly activities.
Specialist bookshops are another great way to enrich your reading lists. Try persephonebooks who publish beautiful editions from 20th century women writers, londonbookarts for art publications or dauntbooks for an independent take on the world of literature.
If you like a podcast thebookstorepodcast is a must if only for their tagline ‘it’s like a book club, but we actually read the book’.
The GuardianBookspodcast is a weekly roundup that will keep you up to date and, lastly, don’t forget that Twitter isn’t just for shouting at strangers! You can connect to your local community, celebrate books and libraries and act to ensure that the joy of reading is accessible to all - and of course you could follow @FoWHLNW6 to stay in touch with what is happening in the real world!
The @NetworkLibrary and @WELBooks give local community perspectives. @WorldBookDayUK and @WorldBookNight celebrate books and reading and you could try @ReadingAgency, @DoorstepLib and @LibTaskforce to support libraries as the vital resource they are for us all.
Have you any recommendations for online book lovers? If you do, tweet @FoWHLNW6 and let us know.
March 2019
Are you well-read?
Most people like to think of themselves as well-read, but can the urge to engage with the best, the most important or the most influential literature be met by one of the stranger genre of self help books – the ones that tell you the ‘books you must read’.
Surely, no one has to read anything. What you read is entirely your own choice. Plus, don’t most of us dislike being made to feel guilty for not reading a classic? That said, a good recommendation can take you outside your comfort zone and it’s sometimes interesting to hear what people think you should be doing in terms of your reading.
Peter Boxall’s 1001 Books you must read before you die (library catalogue 028.1) is a massive tome that makes you contemplate both your imminent demise as well as all the essential reading you’ll never accomplish, while Nick Rennison’s much shorter 100 must-read life-changing books (028.01) is more manageable and optimistic.
Boxall orders his recommendations chronologically, each book having its own page and a brief exposition. I was aghast to see Don Quixote recommended. Although certainly an important work, I’m still recovering from exposure to it during my formative years. I wouldn’t describe it as ‘readable’. It’s not even a pleasant experience – unless you enjoy 800 pages of a man with dementia getting robbed and beaten up.
Still, to each his own.
Rennison meanwhile includes non-fiction books and some useful reading lists. Themes such concepts and ideas, and aspects of society contain some left field choices. One recommendation, Altered States of Consciousness, definitely appeals.
For a different approach, Melvin Bragg’s 12 Books that changed the World (028) explores each title in terms of its global impact. I’m totally on board with Marie Stopes’ Married Love as a world changer. As for the Rule Book of Association Football... despite Bragg’s bold case I am not persuaded.
Andrew Taylor covers similar ground in The 50 Most Influential Books in Human History (011.73). I thought Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring an excellent inclusion and one I wish I’d thought of when considering my list.
Another good basis for choosing is Time Out’s 1000 Books to Change Your Life (028.8). This follows Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man, recommending different books for different times of your life.
Well put together, with lots of extras to keep you engaged, it includes a list of the best first lines, and the best celebrity recommendations. Who'd have guessed, for instance, that Dickens’ David Copperfield, was not only was Sigmund Freud’s favourite book but also Nigella Lawson's?
So whether you balk at recommended reading lists, or are a completist in terms of literary bragging, these books do actually make for some good reading in themselves, even if only to prompt a fierce debate about your own must-reads.
February 2019
Are you romantic?
Whilst celebrating Valentine’s Day this year I was coolly informed I was ‘not romantic’. I shook my head and denied such a heinous character flaw but on reporting this unjust accusation to friends (just to be certain) I was surprised to find the kindest response was muffled laughter. I still have my doubts but not to be deterred I’ve set about rectifying this deficit and it has inspired me to take ‘Romance’ as my inspiration for this blog.
Romance is nebulous idea. Some people think of red roses. Others find it in their partner washing up without being asked to. When I first thought about romantic books I remembered loving classics like Wuthering Heights. However on re-reading it what struck me was not the romance but how horrible everyone one is, so I used some different strategies to select a few less obvious choices to help me up my game.
Firstly I used the tried and tested method of asking everyone I could find. I was recommended Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire by Carol Dyhouse (library catalogue 305.4209). It’s a fascinating read covering female desire from boy bands to the sheikh. It explores the ways that romance exists alongside commerce, practicality and power - I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (813.54) was found in a few of those ‘top ten most romantic books’ lists and has been on my ‘must read’ list for a long time. It’s a beautifully written, tragic tale. I’m not sure it’s romantic in a ‘starry-eyed’ sense but it certainly is beautifully written, moving and insightful.
The last one I found using the library catalogue to find the most lurid title possible - I choose Terri Brisbin’s historical romance ‘Kidnapped by the Highland Rogue’ (Rom). It did not disappoint, although I suspect more emphasis was laid on the romance than the history in this story. There are warnings about judging a book by its cover ... however this cover is an exact pictorial representation of its content - you have been warned!
Honestly, this style of writing is not for me but on asking around I came across a fair number of people who count a romance novel as a guilty pleasure. A burly European colleague had nothing but praise for them having used them to learn ‘conversational English’. The mind boggles!
After my adventure through romance courtesy of my local library I’m not sure I’m any more ‘hearts and flowers’ than I was before, but I am certainly better read!
If you are wondering what to read next, try randomly picking a theme and trying out different types of books. It can be a revelation and after all there’s nothing as romantic than a surprise!
January 2019
West Hampstead to the World
Now that Christmas and the New Year are behind us and the light is returning, I feel the urge to come out from under the duvet and explore. Naturally I started in the library and, from the local history section, enjoyed ‘Hampstead Heath to Primrose Hill’ (library index 942.142002), a no-nonsense account by Malcom Holmes, covering the development of the area from estate holdings into communities. It has remarkable photographs and whimsically notes that Lymington Road was once called Blackberry Way.
A different take on the past comes from a little book called ‘A Child’s Eye View of West Hampstead’ (942.142), a collection of oral history testaments from locals recalling their childhoods. It’s scope is limited but I found the personal perspectives fascinating... how we remember our past and what we think is important. Stories about navigating the closure of the Black Path on Good Friday (the Midland railway company who owned it did it to stop it from becoming a right of way) sit alongside Zeppelin raids during the First World War, sweet shops and grim memories of health before the NHS.
Now you’ve got your bearings, West Hampstead Library has a tempting range of guide books and London histories. As a quote from Pathfinder in ‘Afoot around London’ (1911) wisely observes ‘exploration begins at home’. We are fortunate to live in an amazing, diverse city, rich with the possibility for adventure, but when the everyday grind blinds us to it, a guide book can help us approach the familiar with new eyes.
John Rogers' book ‘This Other London’ (914.210486) is a quirky and personal narrative. A more organised approach is taken in ‘Walking Across London’ (914.210486) by Patrick Hamilton. Our closest walks in it are a jaunty 3 miles from Kings Cross to Camden Lock and an invigorating 12 1/2 miles from Holland Park to Hendon - don’t worry it is divided into 4 stages! As if he could read my mind, Hamilton helpfully notes toilet stops, refreshments, and the nearest underground stations.
Andrew Duncan’s ‘Secret London’ (914.210486) is tinged with romance for the past covering the lost London rivers and one of my favourites, the Kensington roof gardens. It’s written with clarity, packed full of interest and practical again including transport links.
If all this history isn’t inspiring you, seek out 'Lost in London: Adventures in the City's Wild Outdoors' (508.421) by Lucy Scott and Tina Smith, a beautifully written and illustrated guide to staying connected to nature in this busy city. It has everything from recommendations for local river, wetland and woodland walks to seasonal activities. I’ve been inspired by it to welcome 2019 by replanting the pots on my little balcony.
The local history section of our library offers a real sense of place and context and is a brilliant resource if you’ve started the year feeling a bit rootless or if you're trying to be more active. It is a part of the library that is easily overlooked, especially by locals, so do have a browse... you never know where it might lead.
December 2018
In praise of bad weather
I appreciate that these are not the words of a wild adventurer, but curling up with a good book when the weather outside is grim can be a cure-all. In fact, reading is even better when it’s bleak and raining. Bad weather is the perfect reason to get comfortable. In Iceland this simple pleasure is found in the phenomenon of the Jolabokaflod, the ‘Christmas book flood’, which is borne of the tradition of giving a book on Christmas Eve and then settling in to devour it.
So what to choose? What is a ‘good’ book? Something inspirational? Something from your ‘I ought to read that’ list, or worse still, the ‘I’m the only person who hasn’t read this yet' list.
No... this is a time for indulgence, for escape and entertainment, not for self-improvement. Reading for pleasure is simple – just read what you like. Read what interests you and take the odd chance. If what you love is a good old bodice-ripping romance, a spy caper or a historical sleuth, if that’s what makes you happy ... so celebrate it!
My guilty passion is a vintage detective novel. They are criticised as being lowbrow and formulaic but I love the ‘golden age’ duchesses: Overture to Death (Ngaio Marsh), Whose Body (Dorothy L Sayers), The Franchise Affair (Josephine Tey), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie) and Margery Allingham (Swiss Cottage library has a good selection).
I love their ability to sweep me along in a story. I relish the florid characterisations. If you try one you‘ll find unconventional detectives, likeable murderers, obsessed scientists, sensible artists and flawed heroes. You might be drawn in by the literary references often scattered throughout. You might find yourself appreciating a plot that rattles along and or testing yourself against the author to see if you can figure out ‘whodunit’… before all is revealed.
I’m also partial to the grey, subtle, human writing of George Simenon and West Hampstead Library has a fair few of the 75 Maigret novels to choose from. Try The Man on the Boulevard, The Saint-Fiacre Affair or Maigret and the Idle Burglar.
Stories about a bourgeois French policeman who permanently drinks and solves cases by empathising with criminals (his motto is ‘understand, don’t condemn’) may not feel an obvious choice but they are quite short and you may just find yourself drawn to Simenon’s sparse, naturalistic writing.
After a bereavement when my head was fuzzy with sadness and I couldn’t concentrate on anything, Simenon was the only author I could read. I especially love the way he builds atmosphere. It frequently rains in his work – the weather and its impact on the protagonists is described with a simplicity and grace that allows you to be part of that world.
There’s a very satisfying symmetry in being tucked up in West Hampstead and hearing the rain outside on a Parisian rooftop.
Escape, comfort and enjoyment – what book are you thinking about reading right now?
November 2018
Voracious and random
Like any library lover, joining the local library was a reflex action when I moved to West Hampstead seven years ago. However, despite the library being only 349 steps away from my front door (yes, I’ve counted them!) I was soon swept up in London life and failed to translate that initial connection into proper relationship. I was working late hours, buying books instead of borrowing them, and just wasn’t around during opening hours. Maybe you know that feeling?
It wasn’t always like that, however. I come from a practical, working class family who took me to our local library every week. I associated the library with pleasure, reward and excitement. My family often moved around for work during my school years and the local libraries I joined were a constant presence and comfort in my changing surrounds.
I am grateful to the many librarians who noticed my voracious but somewhat random reading habits – and guided me gently. For example I often chose books by their covers and remember, when I was 12, a librarian intercepted me clutching a copy of ‘I, Claudius’ by Robert Graves (which you can find on the shelves at West Hampstead at 823.912 20). Once it became apparent that I thought the book was an adventure story the librarian kindly redirected me to The Earthsea Quartet, by Ursula Le Guin (813.54), thereby no doubt saving me from one or two nightmares.
It was the same with music and films. I have librarians to thank for introducing me to Billie Holiday and turning me into a Kate Bush acolyte, and for helping me to take my first tentative steps into the world of film, recommending everything from foreign language arthouse classics to ‘Fred and Ginger’ musicals.
In fact looking back, little of what has happened in my career, and indeed my life since would have happened without the skills, knowledge and empathy I developed from having access to libraries and reading with the guidance of librarians.
I now find myself working next door to Hendon Library, and have watched the changes there with dismay. I find it sadly reduced from a welcoming community hub with a busy cafe, to an automated, gated space with little human contact between users and librarians – I was reminded of the sage advice ‘use it, or lose it’!
So here I am, your new Writer in Residence. I look forward to thinking and writing about the ways that books and libraries can enrich us personally as individuals and how they shape and support our communities.
These are some of the ideas that I want to write about in my year as Writer in Residence. I look forward to finding out more, reporting back and perhaps meeting you at future FoWHL events!
Voracious and random
Like any library lover, joining the local library was a reflex action when I moved to West Hampstead seven years ago. However, despite the library being only 349 steps away from my front door (yes, I’ve counted them!) I was soon swept up in London life and failed to translate that initial connection into proper relationship. I was working late hours, buying books instead of borrowing them, and just wasn’t around during opening hours. Maybe you know that feeling?
It wasn’t always like that, however. I come from a practical, working class family who took me to our local library every week. I associated the library with pleasure, reward and excitement. My family often moved around for work during my school years and the local libraries I joined were a constant presence and comfort in my changing surrounds.
I am grateful to the many librarians who noticed my voracious but somewhat random reading habits – and guided me gently. For example I often chose books by their covers and remember, when I was 12, a librarian intercepted me clutching a copy of ‘I, Claudius’ by Robert Graves (which you can find on the shelves at West Hampstead at 823.912 20). Once it became apparent that I thought the book was an adventure story the librarian kindly redirected me to The Earthsea Quartet, by Ursula Le Guin (813.54), thereby no doubt saving me from one or two nightmares.
It was the same with music and films. I have librarians to thank for introducing me to Billie Holiday and turning me into a Kate Bush acolyte, and for helping me to take my first tentative steps into the world of film, recommending everything from foreign language arthouse classics to ‘Fred and Ginger’ musicals.
In fact looking back, little of what has happened in my career, and indeed my life since would have happened without the skills, knowledge and empathy I developed from having access to libraries and reading with the guidance of librarians.
I now find myself working next door to Hendon Library, and have watched the changes there with dismay. I find it sadly reduced from a welcoming community hub with a busy cafe, to an automated, gated space with little human contact between users and librarians – I was reminded of the sage advice ‘use it, or lose it’!
So here I am, your new Writer in Residence. I look forward to thinking and writing about the ways that books and libraries can enrich us personally as individuals and how they shape and support our communities.
These are some of the ideas that I want to write about in my year as Writer in Residence. I look forward to finding out more, reporting back and perhaps meeting you at future FoWHL events!
