You Are So Very Literary

[callmemadam]

There have been a lot of mentions on the book blogs recently of Slightly Foxed, ‘The Real Reader’s Quarterly’. I’m a real reader all right (though I find the description rather precious) so rather than fork out £8.00 for a trial issue I found a back number on eBay and started browsing. As soon as I saw that the cover was by Posy Simmonds and the quote on the title page ‘For Pheasant Read Peasant’, I felt that the editors really knew their market.

I’ve enjoyed articles on Sellar & Yeatman, on Georgette Heyer, Anthony Powell and Alec Waugh. I’ve resolved to read some George Gissing and to catch up with Rumer Godden’s The Diddakoi, which I’ve unaccountably never read. The articles are well written, light in tone and full of enthusiasm. The authors seem to have agreeable life styles. I don’t think I’ll be taking out a subscription, though; I could spend the money on BOOKS instead.

Now is a good moment to push the literary journal I do subscribe to, Folly Magazine. (The web site needs some updating.) The readership is mainly but not exclusively female and the core interest is school stories but a wide range of other authors is discussed. If you thought you were the only person in the world who loves the children’s books of Virginia Pye or David Severn, then Folly is for you.

Comments

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

That's a lovely cover. The fox!

Diddakoi is full of people dying. I plan never to read it again.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yes, dear Posy. I should show that picture to the estate agents and say, 'This is the lifestyle I seek'.

I saw Diddakoi on children's television, as Kizzy. When you say, full of people dying, how about the *horse*?

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

If I'd said 'people and horses' it would have been a bit of a giveaway!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, failed spoiler alert.

[vintagereads.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

£8.00! I could almost buy a Persephone title for that! Sounds good though, I do like Posy Simmonds. Nicola

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Exactly! A bit steep, methinks.

I love Posy so much that I can visualise and quote whole strips from memory. She's quite a source of family quotes.