Hannah Fielding's Blog, page 41
December 25, 2018
‘Peace on earth, good will to men’
A very happy Christmas to you all. Here, infused with the spirit of Christmas, is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem ‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’. What better wish can […]
December 24, 2018
10 Christmas traditions from around the world
It’s the most magical time of the year – for children, of course, but for adults too who are infused with the spirit of Christmas. No doubt you and your […]
December 20, 2018
Thank Dickens for Christmas
In 1870, the novelist Charles Dickens passed away, and a little girl in London was recorded as exclaiming: ‘Mr Dickens dead? Then will Father Christmas die too?’ Dickens had come […]
December 17, 2018
‘Tread softly because you tread on my dreams’
‘You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one’ So wrote John Lennon and Yoko Ono for the song ‘Imagine’. Aren’t we all dreamers, deep down? We […]
December 13, 2018
Gifting books at Christmas – the Icelandic way
What better gift to give and receive at Christmas than one that brings comfort, solace, inspiration, enjoyment and learning? Books are readily available, they are inexpensive and they are bound […]
December 10, 2018
Father of the fairy tale, Charles Perrault
Have you heard of the 17th-century French writer Charles Perrault? If the name is unfamiliar, I have no doubt that the following will strike a chord: ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ ‘Little […]
December 6, 2018
Made in our image: The enduring humanity of the Greek gods
Are you familiar with the Image of God concept? It’s inherent in the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Sufism that human beings were created in the image of God. The Ancient […]
December 3, 2018
Who reads romance novels? Women… AND men
It’s no secret that there is a stigma attached to romance novels. They’re unrealistic, they’re cheesy, they’re silly, they’re cringe-worthy, they’re formulaic, they’re not ‘proper’ literature… these, and many more, […]
November 29, 2018
Aesop: the Ancient Greek slave whose stories guide us today
‘Pride comes before a fall,’ we say. ‘Honesty is the best policy… and look before you leap.’ Have you ever considered where these little axioms of wisdom originated? The answer […]
November 26, 2018
Reading to combat loneliness
Over the past couple of years in the UK, loneliness has become a topic for discussion. The Duke of Cambridge’s campaigning on mental health is bringing such social issues into […]
