During the lockdown, readers have been looking for titles that reflect their experiences. I’ve had a small flurry of interest in Stranded in the Six-Day War. People see some similarity between being marooned on a ship because of the external dangers and being cooped up in their homes to avoid Covid-19 infection. Derek Kelly One …
At a time when the future seems so uncertain, it might feel reassuring to look back to the past. As an author of non-fiction titles, I’ve often found myself delving into history. But I know little about the background of my own family. Far From Home For many years, I have been involved in voluntary …
As the Care4Calais volunteers set up to distribute jumpers to refugees in northern France, R comes over to say hi. It’s lovely to see the likeable 23-year-old Kurdish man again after 3 months. ‘Mama!’ he calls – a joke from last time when he found out I was volunteering alongside my daughter. He’s exactly the …
Twice this month, I’ll be giving an illustrated talk. It’s about the merchant ships that became trapped in the Suez Canal during the Six-Day War in 1967. University of Brighton I’ll be at the University of Brighton on 5 February 5.30 – 7pm Room G4, Grand Parade. It is part of the seminar series for …
Just metres away from a roundabout in Calais, a bunch of boys are playing an ad hoc cricket game. Another group warm themselves by a small wood fire – later, they’ll cook a meal on their makeshift stove. Eyeing them from the other side of the roundabout are a vanload of CRS police officers. CRS …
When US philatelist Eric Carlson found an unusual stamp on EBay, he ‘stumbled upon the remnants of a forgotten bit of world history, about a stranded convoy that built a community at the center of a war.’ Eric had discovered the Great Bitter Lake Association. New podcast 99% Invisible in the USA have produced an …
Since I wrote Stranded in the Six-Day War, people from around the world have been getting in touch with me. They tell me about their activities to keep alive the story of the ships stranded in the Suez Canal for eight years. The GBLA Last week, Peter Valdner sent a photo of the annual gathering …
Food is always a brilliant way to bring people together. We all love to talk about food and we all have strong opinions about it. If you’re trying to learn English, it’s good to have a clear focus for discussion and a reason to communicate. The Cook, Learn and Eat courses bring together people who …
The client studies his reflection in the hand-held mirror. His hair looks good on top but needs a little more trimming elsewhere. ‘Anyone got the number 2?’ calls the barber. After another careful 10 minutes’ work, the young Ghanaian has a perfect haircut – 1 cm on top and neatly shaved around the back and …