Strange sounds and sweet airs

Every town has its supply of quirky characters seen on the streets and known by all. They can be male or female, any age, distinct for always wearing the same clothes or for possessing varied but ecce

This year marks the 625th anniversary of The Canterbury Tales author – and “father of English literature” – Geoffrey Chaucer’s death. He penned this classic, about a merry band of medieval pilgrims te

A freewheeling Cavafy for modern times

Samuel Pepys’s self-incriminating diaries

I t takes all sorts. Some readers, for ...

Muriel Spark’s irrepressible creative drive