On Offa and Bookish

Or - More Words by the Water

I take no credit for On Offa - it was what Max Adams said he was tempted to call his new book. Actually it’s titled The Mercian Chronicles : King Offa and the birth of the Anglo-Saxon State AD 630 - 918! It’s the book I bought yesterday and the one on which his talk today was based. I have been to many of his talks in Newcastle, have, and have read, most of his books, so I knew this talk would be good. And it was. He is so knowledgable and enthusiastic, yet entertaining at the same time. Excellent!

Afterwards Marjorie (walkingMarj) caught up with us and we had some lunch and a chat. Then Gordon left us to go walking and Marjorie and I made for the Main Hall to see Lucy Mangan. She is the TV critic for The Guardian and writes witty pieces about programmes I have never seen! But she actually describes herself as ‘bookish’ so I have long had an affinity with her. I loved her book Bookworm in which she describes all her childhood books, most of which I recognised but had forgotten all about. Her new book Bookish continues this exploration of a book life into adulthood. I don’t think the talk was as good as the book is going to be. It was all a bit lacklustre, whether that’s because it was a ‘conversation’ with a guy (no idea who he was) who asked the most banal questions, or whether she is just someone who is much happier writing than talking, I don’t know. Anyway, it was good to see her and I look forward to reading the book and, judging by the long queue of people waiting for newly-purchased books to be signed, it seems many others will be reading it too - or maybe not - see below . . . 

. . . a lot of what she said struck a chord with me and I will return to this tomorrow. It may need me to use the word Tsundoku . . . ! (See extra)