Gender roles and ideology in Nazi Germany - a heady mix

If you were young, German and female in 1939 you were at the poorer end of the gender scale. Unable to hold professional posts, ill-educated, your role was defined politically, ideologically and socially as a servant, assistant, mother. You’d taken part in political youth activities, but had no outlet for personal develop and no chance […]

Beta readers

Photo courtesy of Piotr Bizior

When I opened up an email today after a long weekend away, I was thrilled to find to read this from a beta reader: (All character names changed – you’ll have to buy the book when it’s published.)

“Finished part 1 and having a great time! I like […]

So, Fräulein Barnes, vhat can you tell us?

Today’s guest, Denise Barnes, tells us not only about writing and her current novel, but how her year in Germany prompted her to write her hilarious book, from Bad to Wurst.

How did you get started with writing? I’ve written since primary school; I wrote a chapter of a serial once a week and put […]

Are some genres more equal than others?

I love bookshops. I love bookstalls at charity dos and the second-hand paperback club. I love the book table at conferences. The second and third are informal; the offer is either serendipity or confined to the books written by speakers (and certainly in the case of the RNA) attendees. Running my hands over the spines […]

What if?

Ever mislaid something, convinced you’d left it on the kitchen table and then found it on the bed? Or been somewhere completely certain of having made the journey before?

One answer could be that you did and you have, but you’ve shifted a nano-interval into another reality, according to a short story I’ve been reading […]