Theme weeks/part weeks

Hatchet Job Week  ( 6.4.08 to 12.4.08 )

• Introduction by Moira
• The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway (hatchet by Jackie)
• The Kreutzer Sonata by Count Lev Tolstoy (hatchet by Kirsty)
• Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (Lisa and Rosy fight it out in a video battle)
• A rant on Required Reading (Opinion piece by Eve)
• A Monster is Born (Moira on Mr Rochester. Not literally)
• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (hatchet by Mary)

Wilderness Week  ( 21.4.08 to 27.4.08 )

• Intro post.
• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (review by Jackie)
• Sylvanus Now by Donna Morrissey (review by Mary)
• Call of the Wild, edited by Roly Smith (review by Moira)
• Pulp Fiction: Books and the Environment.  Part One.  (A soapbox by Eve)
• Interview with Jacquetta Megarry of Rucksack Readers (interview by Moira)
• The Goshawk by T H White (review by Trilby)
• Going Dutch in Beijing by Mark McCrum (review by Lisa)
  

Children’s/Young People’s Week-and-a-bit  ( 5.7.08 to 13.7.08 )

• The Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray (review by Eve)
• Interview with Julia Donaldson.  Part  One. (interview by Rosy and Eve)
• When We Were Cubs – the Book Foxes choose their childhood favourites.
• Workers and Soldiers, Dogs and Cats: Mayakovsky’s poetry for children – Kirsty proving once again that she can crowbar a Russian theme into anything … absolutely anything.
• Interview with Julia Donaldson.  Part Two. (The one with the coffee.)
• Celebrating Antonia Forest – The grown-up children’s author. Excellent overview of her life and work, by Emma.
• Interview with Sally Nicholls (interview by Leena)
• The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation.  Volume One by M T Anderson.  (Review by Trilby.)
• The Knife that Killed Me by Anthony McGowan (review by Eve)

France Week  ( 13.7.08 to 20.7.08 )

• Coming Attractions by Moira
• A Treasury of Regrets by Susanne Alleyn (review by Jackie)
• Opinion piece: Jane Aitken of Gallic Books on Marketing French translation in the UK.
• Carmen by Prosper Mérimée (review by Moira)
• In Conversation with: Jay Benedict. (Moira meeting her match … worth reading for that reason alone …)
• Kit Maude of Marion Boyars writes very entertainingly on the rewards and pitfalls of undertaking a French/English bilingual translation of Amin Zaoui’s Banquet of Lies.
• La pluie d’été by Marguerite Duras (review by Leena – having a certain amount of trouble …)
• The Stranger by Albert Camus (review of this modern classic by Mary).

Richard III Week  ( 17.8.08 to 24.8.08 )

• The Colours of the Chameleon – Forthcoming Attractions
• To Prove a Villain (character study of Shakespeare’s Richard by Moira)
• The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman (review by Jackie)
• Writing Wrongs to make A Secret Alchemy (excellent piece by Emma Darwin on the birth pangs of her latest novel)
• The Shadows in History’s Eye (nicely contentious (!) opinion piece by Dr Gillian Polack)
• The Trouble with Richard III on Film – or just the Trouble with Richard III? (Rosy on the problems of bringing Richard III to the screen)
• Richard III: The Maligned King by Annette Carson (slightly stroppy review by a plainly-traumatized Moira)
• Interview with Annette Carson (by Moira)

Frankenstein  ( 3.12.08 to 6.12.08 )

• Heart of Horror:  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (overview of the Gothic classic by Rosy).
• Brian W Aldiss: Speech at the Bodleian Library on the launch of  The Original Frankenstein, edited by Dr Charles E Robinson.
• Over at the Frankenstein Place: Frankenstein on stage and film by Moira.
• Staying Sane(ish) inside Insanity: Jay Benedict on The Rocky Horror Show (and other things).

Geek Week (22.2.09 to 28.2.09)

• Intro post.
• Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man: a  review of the SF classic by Jackie.
• The Most Unkindest Cut: Jay Benedict chats to Moira about being edited out of Aliens and Star Wars – and recording the English soundtrack of Go Nagai’s Star Fleet.
• Comics as a serial medium: John Kennedy on the challenges and rewards of writing monthly comics.
• Give them Lego: a review of Francis Spufford’s Backroom Boys – The Secret Return of the British Boffins by Michael Carley.
• Go Nagai’s Star Fleet:
• A review of the newly released DVD box set of the cult Saturday morning TV programme by Lesley Gallacher.
• Their Russians were Better than Our Germans:  A review of Deborah Cadbury’s Space Race and Matthew Brzezinski’s Red Moon Rising by Michael Carley.

Bohemian Week (19.4.09 to 25.4.09)

• Intro post.
• Hippie by Barry Miles: a review by Jackie.
• Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook:  a guest review by Sam Ruddock.
• Kith and Kin by Stevie Davies: reviewed by Lisa.
• Elias Chiacos’ Mountain Drive: a review by Moira.
• Renate Benedict – A Life Less Ordinary: Moira interviews Renate, mother of regular VL guest Jay.
• Jean Rhys’s Good Morning Midnight:  a review by Emma.
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli:  reviewed by Eve,

Poetry Week 17th – 23rd May.

• Click here for a full list of Poetry Week reviews and articles

Trotsky Week (30.8.10 t0 5.10.10)

• Opening remarks by Geoffrey Swain
• Trotsky Q&A: Ian Thatcher
• The Prophet Unread by Michael Carley
• Interview with Chris Ward
• Interview with Tariq Ali
• Introduction to the Lubitz TrotskyanaNet/Closing Remarks

Talking Books – Audiobook Month (6.9.10 to 31.9.10)

• Click here for a full list of all Audiobook Month reviews, interviews and articles.

https://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/renate-benedict-a-life-less-ordinary/