Monthly Archives: August 2010

Is there any point to learning a foreign language in the UK?

Posted on August 31, 2010 by

Last week new figures confirmed that French had dropped out of the top ten exam subjects taken at GCSE level by 14-16 year olds in England.  Spanish is the only language with slightly higher pupil numbers.  Is this sad news … Continue reading →

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2010 James Tait Black Prizes go to AS Byatt and John Carey

Posted on August 23, 2010 by

The weather in Edinburgh today reverted to “norm” with lashings of rain and wind that made the marquees of the Book Festival in Charlotte Square creak and flap like the sails of multi-masted schooners.  It’s a rather disconcerting experience to … Continue reading →

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Historical Novels Review – August issue now out

Posted on August 23, 2010 by

The August issue arrived today and is full of interesting articles (on the Orion Publishing Company and the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, to take two at opposite ends of the spectrum), market news for historical fiction, and … Continue reading →

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