Selina Hastings is a writer whose work delves into the lives and literary worlds of notable figures. Her approach to writing is characterized by deep research and a keen eye for detail. Hastings enriches the literary landscape with her insightful examinations of historical personalities and their impact. Her ability to bring past lives to vivid existence through compelling narrative has established her as a skilled biographer.
A tale of how one young man matures through the sometimes violent blessing of social change and finds himself - and a sense of purpose - through the loss of innocence and naivete, the Seattle of his youth, and his father.
Born in Germany to aristocratic parents, Sybille Bedford's (1911-2006) life contained all the grand feeling and seismic event of the twentieth century: war and peace, love and trauma, friendship and death, as well as the need to write and rescue something from this wreckage. Openly gay, Bedford once said 'I wish I'd written more books and spent less time being in love. It's very difficult doing both at the same time.' In her forties she published her breakthrough novel, A Legacy, continuing to publish until her early nineties, writing some of the outstanding and most original novels, memoirs and travel books of the century. Bedford's father died when she was just fourteen and her mother, a great socialite and litterateur, fell victim to a debilitating morphine addiction. Striking out on her own, Bedford fell under the spell of Aldous Huxley, who was to become her friend and mentor. Staying with Aldous and his wife Maria in their sunlit villa in the south of France between the wars were some of the happiest and most enlivening years of Bedford's life - even as she failed and failed again at finding her own voice on the page. And yet it was these years that would provide the material for Jigsaw: An Unsentimental Education, widely considered to be her masterwork and which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1989. A bon viveur, lover of French wine and cuisine, and admired by her peers ('One of the most dazzling practitioners of English prose' Bruce Chatwin once commented) she roamed from country to country - Germany, France, England, Italy and the United States - in search of fresh experience, with ear and eye attuned to her surroundings, typewriter at the ready. Full of intense friendships (Martha Gellhorn and Elizabeth Jane Howard among them), a fierce commitment to the craft of writing, as well as an insatiable appetite for love and sex, Sybille Bedford blazed her own path in her life and her art.
A beautifully illustrated children's Bible for families to enjoy together. This collection of influential and inspiring stories from the Old and New Testaments help children to learn and interpret the messages and meanings of the Bible. Major events, including the creation, the nativity, and the resurrection, are covered in depth and detail. The classic stories are retold in simple, accessible language for children, while beautiful illustrations bring the words to life. The book also introduces younger readers to sacred sites of religious significance, from the peak of Mount Sinai to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Colourful photographs and illustrations of key people and places, together with geographical maps of locations in the Bible, provide fresh insight and aid understanding. Important quotations from the King James Bible are included with useful references to chapter and verse. This family favourite is a perfect gift for children and a continuing source of learning to return to time and time again.
After a horrible hag saves King Arthur's life by answering a riddle, Sir Gawain agrees to marry her and thus releases her from an evil enchantment.
The first full and intimate biography of writer and bon viveur Sybille Bedford 'A fantastic read' India Knight, Sunday Times 'A wonderful biography' Sara Wheeler, Spectator Born in Germany to aristocratic parents, Sybille Bedford's (1911-2006) life contained all the grand feeling and seismic event of the twentieth century: war and peace, love and trauma, friendship and death, as well as the need to write and rescue something from this wreckage. Openly gay, Bedford once said 'I wish I'd written more books and spent less time being in love. It's very difficult doing both at the same time.' In her forties she published her breakthrough novel, A Legacy , continuing to publish until her early nineties, writing some of the outstanding and most original novels, memoirs and travel books of the century. Bedford's father died when she was just fourteen and her mother, a great socialite and litterateur , fell victim to a debilitating morphine addiction. Striking out on her own, Bedford fell under the spell of Aldous Huxley, who was to become her friend and mentor. Staying with Aldous and his wife Maria in their sunlit villa in the south of France between the wars were some of the happiest and most enlivening years of Bedford's life - even as she failed and failed again at finding her own voice on the page. And yet it was these years that would provide the material for Jigsaw: An Unsentimental Education , widely considered to be her masterwork and which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1989. A bon viveur , lover of French wine and cuisine, and admired by her peers ('One of the most dazzling practitioners of English prose' Bruce Chatwin once commented) she roamed from country to country - Germany, France, England, Italy and the United States - in search of fresh experience, with ear and eye attuned to her surroundings, typewriter at the ready. Full of intense friendships (Martha Gellhorn and Elizabeth Jane Howard among them), a fierce commitment to the craft of writing, as well as an insatiable appetite for love and sex, Sybille Bedford blazed her own path in her life and her art
A beautifully illustrated edition of the Bible, created especially for children. From the peak of Mount Sinai to the shores of the Sea of Galilee - Old and New Testament stories are brought to life with photographs and maps to put the stories in context. Perfect for sharing with your child or grandchild or for them to read and discover the Bible on their own.
Nancy Mitford was witty, intelligent, often acerbic, a great tease and an acute observer of upper-class English idiosyncrasies. Selina Hastings has written a biography that is superbly entertaining and clear-eyed, of a life that Diana Mosley spoke of as being 'so sad one can hardly bear to contemplate it'.
The definitive biography of one of the twentieth century's greatest writers
From Mount Sinai to the shores of the Sea of Galilee, this title brings the Old and New Testament stories to life. It is retold for children.
