Al Murray is a highly successful English stand up comedian who created the comic character The Pub Landlord, a bombastic opinionated oaf whose message is ‘England is the best, all…

Murder! Mayhem!  Revenge  – ! – ending in a glorious absurd climax.  A feminist tract taken to its ultimate hilarious finale. Brilliant!  This is another of the Storybook ND (New Directions) books, this time…

‘Can you remember any artwork produced in the hospital that stays in your memory. Something so different, something quite unique, that you have never forgotten it?’ Joyce Laing defines ‘art…

Often when I think about poetry for children, I think it’s a bit worthy and well, dull. It's for learning by rote and reciting at school assemblies or for use as a…

This is a great wee book. I read it between breakfast and lunch one morning – with time left over.  It’s a delight. A delicious delight. When I finished it…

While the author was working as Programs Manager at the American Library in Paris she learned about the extraordinarily brave employees who endeavoured to keep the library open during World…

I had never heard the name Bathia/Bethia until I met somebody with that name in Pittenweem. When I was last on duty in the library, I picked up a book…

It’s probably a personality defect, but I love elections.  There’s nothing quite like a decent dose of electionitis as the image-makers groom their candidates. The spin doctors and the PR…

Many of you will know the Grantchester Mysteries that have been televised. Here is a review of James Runcie’s prequel, which tells the story of how the vicar Sidney Chambers comes to detecting and solving crimes.