Andrew Marvell at 400
March 31, 2021
The seventeenth-century poet, politician and prose satirist Andrew Marvell has been a large part of my life for the past 20 years. A short commemoration of that journey. … More Andrew Marvell at 400
Tag: Seventeenth Century
A New Horatian Ode: Brexit and Civil War
July 11, 2019
Inspired by the new BBC documentary, Downfall of a King, a few connections between Brexit and the conflicts of the 1640s. … More A New Horatian Ode: Brexit and Civil War
Is Brexit another Revolution?
March 15, 2019
A touch of history, frustrations with Brexit, regret for my family, and coming from Sunderland. … More Is Brexit another Revolution?
Christopher Hill, Andrew Marvell, and the Dissenting Tradition
November 6, 2018
I owe much of my interest in the seventeenth century to the late historian, Christopher Hill (1912-2003). I went to see Justin Champion deliver an impassioned defence of Hill and his work at a memorial lecture in Newark. … More Christopher Hill, Andrew Marvell, and the Dissenting Tradition
Was Marvell a seventeenth-century ‘incel’?
June 6, 2018
The difficulties of dealing with involuntary celibacy, from desolation to misogyny, seem to haunt some of Andrew Marvell’s most famous lyric poems. … More Was Marvell a seventeenth-century ‘incel’?
Samuel Pepys and His Books
June 1, 2018
Review of Kate Loveman, Samuel Pepys & His Books: Reading, Newsgathering & Sociability, 1660-1703 (Oxford University Press, 2015). … More Samuel Pepys and His Books
Learning a new language
March 10, 2018
I was reminded this week how nerve-wracking it can be getting to grips with a master’s, and why I have my supervisor to thank for it. … More Learning a new language
Marvell, Dryden, and the Horatian Ode
February 16, 2017
There is no hard evidence that Andrew Marvell’s ‘Horatian Ode’ ever left his hands. Yet, it may have come to John Dryden’s attention. How is Dryden the privileged one? A brief study of hard and soft evidence. … More Marvell, Dryden, and the Horatian Ode
Celebrating Shakespeare in 2016
April 23, 2016
To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, I asked a panel of experts why we continue to celebrate his life and works in 2016. … More Celebrating Shakespeare in 2016
Shakespeare: Metamorphosis
April 13, 2016
A glimpse at some of the treasures on display during the press launch night of Shakespeare: Metamorphosis at the University of London’s Senate House Library. … More Shakespeare: Metamorphosis
Writing Privacy 