Andrew’s Blog:

  • Literary adaptations don’t have to be a disappointment to fans of the book

    Literary adaptations don’t have to be a disappointment to fans of the book

    Literary adaptations have always been a major source of material for the film and television industry. In the early days of cinema the first feature films drew on the classics and popular fiction of the time. Alice in Wonderland, Robinson Crusoe and Sherlock Holmes all came to the silent screen in the early 1900s. The…


  • Jerome K Jerome one of many authors with a passion for cycling

    Jerome K Jerome one of many authors with a passion for cycling

    On a walk through Ewelme last weekend I passed the grave of Jerome K Jerome. Jerome is best known for Three men in a boat which has never been out of print since publication in 1889. He also wrote Three men on the bummel, which follows the same three characters from the boat book as…


  • James Sadler the first English aeronaut

    James Sadler the first English aeronaut

    I was walking along Dead Man’s Walk the other day when I came across a plaque commemorating James Sadler, the first English aeronaut. I’m just going to wind back a little to the beginning of that sentence. Dead Man’s Walk – what a fantastic name! And an intriguing location. You’d be hard pressed to come…


  • The extraordinary story of Masquerade, the publishing sensation that launched a treasure hunt

    The BBC reports today that a series of events is being planned to commemorate the publication of Masquerade, a picture book that launched a treasure hunt in the UK. Masquerade was a publishing sensation in 1979. The prize may have been buried in the UK, but that didn’t stop a million people around the world…


  • The quarry scene from Crossing Live

    The image below shows the setting for the quarry scene in my novel, Crossing Live. I found it in my camera roll from last year’s trip to Australia. It’s not exactly a standard tourist image from the land down under. In fact, it’s guaranteed never, ever to feature in any Tourism Australia poster. But I…


  • I’ve just discovered audiobooks and now I’m a complete convert

    I’ve just discovered audiobooks and now I’m a complete convert

    Audiobooks are changing the way I, and many other book lovers, consume fiction. They’ve also made me rethink the way I write my own stories. It’s five weeks now since I listened to my first audiobook. That doesn’t exactly qualify me as an early adopter. But I’ve more than made up for this late start…