Since I read Northanger Abbey when I was in my twenties, I have to say that in the interim it has much improved. Clearly, Jane must have taken a creative writing course or two because it is now much funnier, more cutting and more modern, what with her stepping outside the story to comment on her characters and the novel form itself. The idea for this nonsense was inspired by my recollection of the Mark Twain comment:

Next on my list: Persuasion.

If Jane Austen interests you, here’s a great website: Jane Austen’s Fiction Manuscripts.

Austen is also one of the authors featured in Handwritten, which consists of photographs of the writings of novellists, travellers, scientists and others. Here, for example, is a page from a draft of The Watsons:

There is something quite special about seeing and, where possible, touching historical artefacts. When I was teaching economics I brought in a collection of German Marks from their hyperinflation of the 1920s. It’s one thing talking about that, but quite another to hold in your hand a one million Mark note which may have enabled someone to buyt a loaf of bread.

Going back to Handwritten, I wrote about it in 11 Characteristics of good writers, in which I wrote about the methodology of Raymond Chandler. Speaking of whom, he is one of the authors featured in Write, Cut, REwrite (see cover below). I love this list of possible book titles and the list of similes:

My review of Handwritten will be appearing in Teach Secondary magazine, published on 12th April 2024. My review of Write, Cut, Rewrite will appear in the issue after that.

I learnt something very interesting from the eminently readable The Book At War. As we know, the Nazis liked to ban books and even burn them5. Apparently, the British authorities not only didn’t ban Mein Kampf, they made it available in public libraries and recommended it to army libraries — presumably so that the troops would know what they were fighting against. You can read my review here: Libraries and readers in an age of conflict.

From EdTech to PedTech looks at research about teachers’ use of technology, and to make it more effective. I reviewed it for SchoolsWeek magazine. As I wrote there, those of us who have held responsibility for embedding digital technology across a school will all have tales of well-meaning management who, frankly, didn’t have a clue. Continue reading.

As always, once my reviews of Handwritten and Write, Cut, Rewrite have been published in Teach Secondary I’ll publish them here.

Some of the above article first appeared in my Eclecticism newsletter, in which I look at literature, writing and life in general. Click the graphic to start exploring: