The thoughts that shape my writing
Fragments of history, reflections on memory, and glimpses of the human thread that runs through it all.
When Characters Refuse to Let Go
When I retired from corporate life at seventy, I needed to fill the space it left behind.
I had dabbled in photography for decades and built up thousands of images from all over the world. I even produced a few coffee-table books. But in recent years it no longer held the same appeal. I felt bored by it, short of inspiration, reluctant to go out and make the images at all.
History Isn’t Objective — and Pretending It Is Is Dangerous
I’ve recently completed my second historical fiction novel, The Silence of the White Shadow, set in Victorian Britain. That means my desk — and my head — are cluttered with research: industrial towns, social reformers, courtroom dramas, even the odd ship’s manifest.
The Man Who Thought Everything Was Made of Water
Next we move from one who found truth in stillness to one who found it in motion: Thales of Miletus, the man who thought everything was made of water.
The History Behind Unseen Souls
Before industrialisation, Dowlais was a quiet, scattered upland community nestled in the Brecon Beacons. That’s quickly changed forever …
J.M.W. Turner: A Trailblazer in Art
Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775–19 December 1851), the English artist, is one of my favourite artists and a huge inspiration. His work was ground breaking and unique. He changed the ‘rules’ and painted light and colour rather than objects and scenes.