Reading

Guest Blog: The Future of English Literature and the Humanities

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In this guest post, acclaimed author Warren Adler offers an impassioned defence of the study of English Literature and the Humanities and how majoring in English has made him who he is. I am a proud, grateful, and militant holder of a degree in English Literature. It has enhanced and enriched my life in ways … Read more

Guest Blog: Five Fascinating Facts about Alexander Pushkin

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By Karen Langley 1. His matrilineal great grandfather was a black African page brought over to Russia as a slave. Abram Petrovich Gannibal (1696–1781) was kidnapped and taken to Russia as a gift for Peter the Great. Gannibal was educated in France to the profession of a military engineer, later progressing to become governor of Reval … Read more

Five Fascinating Facts about Roald Dahl

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Roald Dahl was born on this day in 1916, so we’ve taken the opportunity to raise a glass of burgundy (apparently one of Dahl’s favourite drinks – see below) to the man who gave us Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, Matilda, The BFG, and so many more classic books. Here are five of our favourite interesting … Read more

10 Great Quotes for International Literacy Day

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Today is International Literacy Day! What better time, then, to celebrate some of the wisest, wittiest, pithiest, silliest, and most profound things that writers have ever said about literature and reading? The following are 10 of our personal favourites from the last 21 months of Interesting Literature. These quotes (sorry, we should say quotations, we suppose, as it’s International Literacy Day) cover many aspects of reading from very different writers.

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10 Great Quotes from George Bernard Shaw on His Birthday

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Some wise and witty quotes from the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950). It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman despise him. – Preface to Pygmalion When I was a young man I observed that nine out of every ten things I did were failures. So I … Read more