Category Archives: writing

Cyclone tour: stage four

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Charles Lambert

My Something Rich and Strange virtual book tour, to celebrate the publication of The Scent of Cinnamon and Other Stories, goes from strength to strength. This week’s event is hosted by Jim at Jockohomo Datapanik and it’s a corker. I … Continue reading →

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So long as men can breathe

Posted on November 24, 2008 by Charles Lambert

I’ve just finished Warwick Collins’ new novel, The Sonnets, which draws its inspiration from Shakespeare’s sonnet sequence and the circumstances in which it was written. It’s a brave man who decides to narrate an episode from Shakespeare’s life in the … Continue reading →

Posted in gents, shakespeare, the sonnets, warwick collins | Leave a comment

Hormonal communism

Posted on November 23, 2008 by Charles Lambert

An interview with one of my favourite writers, José Saramago, in today’s Guardian online – presumably the Observer? Well worth reading. Here’s an extract: Still a Communist party member, Saramago describes himself as a “hormonal communist – just as there’s … Continue reading →

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The whole business

Posted on August 22, 2008 by Charles Lambert

It takes a brave man, or woman, to imagine a world that is, and isn’t, the world we live in, that will tell us convincing tales about what we should and shouldn’t do, about how we should and shouldn’t live, … Continue reading →

Posted in gone-away world, nick harkaway, review, writing | Leave a comment

I love you I hate you

Posted on August 3, 2008 by Charles Lambert

I was talking to a friend last night about what it might mean to have an inferiority complex. In one sense the term’s an oxymoron. The moment you understand your inferiority is a complex rather than a simple fact about … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | 3 Comments

"Alight with interest"

Posted on July 26, 2008 by Charles Lambert

A lovely – and loving – essay by Julian Barnes on Penelope Fitzgerald in today’s Guardian. It’s fascinating to see how casually she was treated by the literary world, as though she were the writing equivalent of Grandma Moses rather … Continue reading →

Posted in julian barnes, penelope fitzgerald, writing | 5 Comments

A piece of shit

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Charles Lambert

A salutary piece by Anne Enright on how we love – and hate – what we write can be read here. Struggling with what is unlikely to be the final draft of my new novel, I feel what she says … Continue reading →

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Me, me, me, a whole book of me

Posted on June 13, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Some very good news. The enterprising, innovative and discerning Salt Publishing will be bringing out a collection of my short fiction later this year. The collection will contain a few stories you may have read, plus lots you haven’t (unless … Continue reading →

Posted in anne berkeley, isobel dixon, john wilkinson, katy evans-bush, shameless self-promotion, short stories, simon barraclough, the scent of cinnamon, vanessa gebbie | 6 Comments

Tags (2)

Posted on April 30, 2008 by Charles Lambert

I’ve been tagged with the same task by two people, which suggests that the growth of a meme may not be exponential at all, but whatever the opposite of exponential is. In other words, the circle might get smaller and … Continue reading →

Posted in erin o'brien, kay sexton, linda grant, simon barraclough, vanessa gebbie | 9 Comments

Tags

Posted on April 29, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Ouch! I’ve been tagged, twice (and I’ll be getting to yours, Simon, but you’ll have to admit that this one is, well, less demanding). This post is a response to Elizabeth Baines’ tag from a few days ago. These are … Continue reading →

Posted in elizabeth baines, vanessa gebbie | 3 Comments