Which childhood book sparked your love of reading? The Shoe Shop Bears by Margaret J Baker, now sadly out of print. It was the first book I bought with my own money. I was bored by picture books and w

As a child, Camilla was captivated by Anna Sewell's Black Beauty. She says, "I have to admit, I ended up probably being a pony-mad child with Black Beauty. which I howled over, night after night after

Sibyls , the book born of Ruth Fainlight’s poems and Leonard Baskin’s prints, became a memento of friendship, beauty and sorrow for its author

Dear Simon, Once again, the December 2025 issue had lots of memories to write about. Starting from the front, Gertcha! – I did love Chas and Dave, as did my husband. Of course, the family always watch

The 1950s was a golden era for British comics. Conditions were perfect. The US comics industry was yet to experience its 1960s Spider-Man era revival and, in Britain, paper rationing had ended as Brit

“As movers and the moved both know”, John Updike noted, “books are heavy freight ... They make us think twice about changing addresses.” Books: A manifesto, or, How to build a library begins with the