Once upon a time

Queer as folk tales

This month’s story, ‘A School Story’ by M.R. James, is a ghost story within a frame narrative. It offers a number of interesting features, and, as always, you will get the most out of this masterclass

Novels, for me, have come from somewhere I wasn’t looking. In my twenties I was carrying an idea about a woman wandering around Ireland on a quest she didn’t understand and I sat in the Reading Room o

Do you like your romances to be a mixture of sweet treat and spicy sauce? Comforting and cosy, like a frothy latte, but with an added espresso shot of unfiltered sensuality? If that’s your idea of rea

What childhood book sparked your love of reading? One that really stands out for me is Winnie-the-Pooh. I was given a hardback copy on my seventh birthday, and I still treasure it. The maps in the fro

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt was my recent holiday read, and I loved it. It tells the story of lonely widow Tova, whose teenage son vanished 30 years ago. She works at a small aquari