Author Archives: Beth Wren
Review: Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
It’s been a long time since a book has affected me so deeply, in both a literary and personal sense. It’s going to be hard to fathom my reaction to Vonnegut’s words (ironically most probably echoing Vonnegut’s failure to fathom the war which is transparent through his words) but I’ll do my best. I lived […]
Review: Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
I don’t know if you can review a book you’ve read twice and you really love, but I’d nonetheless like to share my delight in re-reading one of my favourite Austen novels. I picked up this beautiful edition at the Jane Austen Centre in Bath in something of a Regency-induced dream and promptly decided that […]
A Weekend in Bath
At the beginning of December my boyfriend and I escaped London for a much-needed weekend away in the beautiful city of Bath. I had wanted to visit Bath for so long and I was certainly not disappointed in my dreams of Regency glamour and visions of Austen at every corner. The golden stone of the […]
Winter Wanderland
Excuse the terrible titular pun, but I needed to find a way to express my ardour for the weather we’ve been having here in the UK for the last couple of days. Frosty and frozen and foggy and all sorts of delightful light have been taking place, and I’ve been making the most of the […]
Poetry Corner | Poem #28
Written half in Prague and half in London and wholly from my heart.
The Diary of an Unpublished Author #7 (or how to apply for literary agents)
Dear Diary, It’s coming to that time of year again. Nope, I’m not talking about mince pies and Christmas lights and terrible but wonderful festive films. (Although, yes that is true too. Can we talk about how great Arthur Christmas is for a minute?!) I’m talking about the time of year where I bear my […]
Poetry Corner | Poem #27: Trainsitting
There’s nothing like a long train journey for an epiphany or two; to remind you of who you are and where you are and where you’re going. In transit is sometimes the best place to find yourself.
The London Diaries: Sky Garden
Continuing my mission of being a massive tourist in my own city, we headed over one sunny Saturday to the Sky Garden on Fenchurch Street – it’s free to get in, but you do have to book ahead in advance. Having been before, I was excited for our visit to the Sky Garden because of […]
Review: Uprooted, Naomi Novik
Agnieszka loves her village, set deep in a peaceful valley. But the nearby enchanted forest casts a shadow over her home. Many have been lost to the Wood and none return unchanged. The villagers depend on an ageless wizard, the Dragon, to protect them from the forest’s dark magic. However, his help comes at a […]
The Diary of an Unpublished Author #6
Dear Diary, Today I’m going to talk about motivation. Perhaps it will start off about writing, but I think it will end up being about life, as inevitably everything does. The two are intrinsically linked, you see – writing and life. In many ways my writing is my life; it is, quite honestly, the most important […]
Bethany Wren 