“As war rages, can love and friendship survive?” That’s the compelling tagline on the cover of Ambulance Girls, a new historical saga by Australian writer Deborah Burrows. Having read the book, the tagline delivers what it promises – and a whole lot more besides. Ambulance Girls is the story of Lily Brennan, a young ambulance driver in London during the Second World War. What makes the novel different is that ...keep reading
What better way to spend a chilly autumnal evening than listening to the wonderful Jilly Cooper in conversation with Sunday Times columnist India Knight? Like millions of readers, I’ve adored Jilly Cooper’s novels for decades. As a teenager I remember reading a serial of hers called Circles in 19, my favourite magazine at the time (now sadly defunct). She later rewrote it and it metamorphosed into Emily, the first of her six short romantic novels. ...keep reading
A career in journalism can take you to some extraordinary places. My highlights include interviewing Sir Richard Branson 40,000 feet above the Atlantic on Virgin’s first flight to Miami, sitting in a Bedouin tent in the middle of the Saudi desert with Prince Charles and Princess Diana and driving across the Equator in a battered old Land Rover. Last week was another example of the eclectic nature of journalism. After ...keep reading
I’ve been a fan of Lisa Jewell’s books for as long as I can remember. I read her first novel, Ralph’s Party, after the high-brow poet and academic Tom Paulin reviewed it on Newsnight Review in 1999. He unexpectedly declared that Ralph’s Party was “a breath of fresh air,” even though I’m sure it wasn’t his usual reading fare. The Girls is Jewell’s 13th novel and it’s a stunning read, one of her best. The book is ...keep reading
The last time I worked in an office Prince Charles was still married to Princess Diana (just), mobile phones were the size of bricks and cappuccinos were unheard of outside Italy. In those days journalists started their careers in the provinces, honing their skills on local papers, learning 100wpm shorthand and bashing out stories on tinny typewriters. After a couple of years loads of us hotfooted it to London, clutching our prized ...keep reading
It’s 18 months since I went to see a play called Chewing Gum Dreams at London’s National Theatre and wrote the following words: “Michaela Coel – remember that name because she’s heading for great things.” Today I feel totally vindicated because the first episode of Chewing Gum, her new six-part TV comedy series, goes out on E4 at 10pm. It’s funny, rude, pacy and definitely not for the faint-hearted or prudish ...keep reading
On the first day of my holiday in France I sat down with a literary treat. The fifth of Nicci French’s gripping Frieda Klein series has just been published and it’s a belter. I didn’t look up again until I’d whizzed through its 375 pages. Frieda Klein is one of my favourite fictional detectives. To be strictly accurate, she’s a psychotherapist rather than a detective but she has the uncanny ...keep reading
One of the loveliest presents I’ve ever received is this pen and ink drawing of London by my daughter. There are loads of maps of the capital but this one is very special. Why? Because it’s a record of all the places in London that have meant something to me over the years – from Lavender Hill, where I used to hop on the 6.30am bus for the early shift ...keep reading
As the days get shorter and Christmas beckons (it’s a scary two months away) it was great to discover that the Hoxton Group has just opened a new hotel in Holborn. I couldn’t wait to try it and was thrilled to discover that it’s every bit as good as its Shoreditch sibling and a lot more central. The Hoxton in High Holborn is a two-minute walk from Holborn tube station ...keep reading
Cecelia Ahern is only 33 but she already has 11 novels to her name. She’s sold 22 million books around the world and her first novel, PS. I Love You, was made into a movie starring Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank. Now her second novel, Where Rainbows End, has been turned into Love, Rosie, with Lily Collins and Sam Claflin as the lead characters. Ahead of its release, Grazia magazine ...keep reading