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TLC: Lewisham

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<h2>Lewisham&rsquo;s libraries provide quality resources so our communities can be well informed, healthy and inspired</h2>
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<p>Visit our libraries for books, wi-fi and PC use.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Explore our <a href="https://libraries.lewisham.gov.uk/digital-content/elibrary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eLibrary</a> for eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, and our <a href="https://libraries.lewisham.gov.uk/digital-content/online-resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online resources</a> for much more.</p>
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<h2>Join Lewisham Libraries <a href="https://libraries.lewisham.gov.uk/user/register" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> for instant access to our online resources.</h2>
<p>Read an eBook, listen to a audiobook, read a magazine, newspaper or comic with only your card number and pin. Our eBook apps all contain publications for children as well as adults.</p>
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<p><a href="https://tlc.overdrive.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://imagedelivery.net/oK4LF9ZyGMZuLOsFKpvm7A/SDPREP_536df08d-cf05-48bd-ae03-e7e2d8596212_637956450145659012/public" width="300px/" /></a> &nbsp;<a href="https://tlc.overdrive.com/library/magazines" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://imagedelivery.net/oK4LF9ZyGMZuLOsFKpvm7A/SDPREP_536df08d-cf05-48bd-ae03-e7e2d8596212_637956450166209322/public" width="300px" /></a>&nbsp; <a href="https://pressreader.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://imagedelivery.net/oK4LF9ZyGMZuLOsFKpvm7A/SDPREP_536df08d-cf05-48bd-ae03-e7e2d8596212_637956450200316866/public" width="300px" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://login.librarypass.com/?library=lewishamlibrariesukfc&amp;domain=librarypass.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://support.librarypass.com/galleryDocuments/edbsn92d76d0c0299b2ec6bbce5c8f793cc5dc60ab5515097328c8ea1d32f83cd2fcd6af629e570d9df930d41a718a25bfae1?inline=true" width="288" height="287" /></a><a href="https://login.librarypass.com/?library=lewishamlibrariesukfc&amp;domain=librarypass.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></p>

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online-resources

<h2>We have a range of online resources which include encyclopaedias, dictionaries, family history resouces and historical newspapers</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Most of these resources can be accessed remotely with your library card. For resources that can only be accessed in libraries, please head to Catford, Deptford or Downham libraries with your library card and you can access the resources via our public PCs. Our staff will be happy to help you.</p>

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<h2>Join our Board Games Night. Next session: Tuesday 2nd January 5-8pm at <a href="https://libraries.lewisham.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/the-library-at-deptford-lounge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Library at Deptford Lounge</a></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>See the full list of games available above.</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Want to read the instructions before to get an advantage? We have those available too!</h2>
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<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
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<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
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<h2>&nbsp;</h2>

Board Games Club

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Outreach and Special Projects

bipc

<h2>Welcome to BIPC Lewisham</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Are you an aspiring business owner with an idea you want to turn into a business? Or a founder who would like support to grow your business?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>BIPC Lewisham is a fully funded service, based within our hub libraries at Catford, Deptford and Downham, and accessible to all residents and businesses operating in the borough. BIPC Lewisham is a partnership between Lewisham Library Services, the Economy, Jobs and Partnerships department and the British Library. Some services and resources require a Lewisham Libraries card.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>To sign up for a library card please bring some ID with your name and address to any library branch or sign up <a href="https://libraries.lewisham.gov.uk/user/register" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Follow BIPC Lewisham on <a href="https://twitter.com/bipclewisham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Contact&nbsp;<a href="mailto:BIPC@lewisham.gov.uk">BIPC@lewisham.gov.uk&nbsp;</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/ZGMydVZ/Logo-lock-up-BIPC-Lewisham.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/ZGMydVZ/Logo-lock-up-BIPC-Lewisham.jpg" alt="BIPC Lewisham logo" /></div>
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BIPC Lewisham

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<h2>We offer a home library delivery service to residents who are disabled, ill, older or a carer</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Our friendly Home Library Service staff run a free monthly service delivering service. The items you can borrow through the service include books in normal or large print, talking books, music CDs and some films on DVD. There is no age limit on this service and it is completely free.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>We offer this service to Lewisham residents and their carers who through age, disability, or illness are not able to visit a library.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you are interested, please contact us and find out more.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Direct Line: 020 8314 6254</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Email: <a href="mailto:libraries@lewisham.gov.uk">libraries@lewisham.gov.uk</a></strong></p>

Home Library Service

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lewisham-heritage

<h2>Lewisham Heritage holds historic materials for the borough of Lewisham and is situated in Catford Library</h2>
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h3 style="line-height: 1.4;">We can help you to discover:</h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 1.4;">The history of the borough</p>
<p style="line-height: 1.4;">The history of houses in the borough (when they were built, and who lived there)</p>
<p style="line-height: 1.4;">The history of an area within the borough, for a school project or for general interest</p>
<p style="line-height: 1.4;">Your family history (ancestors in Lewisham, or general information)</p>
<p style="line-height: 1.4;">Local information on specific topics (for example, famous people who have lived in the borough).</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Visiting the reading room</h3>
<p><br />Please contact us in advance of your visit, to check that we have the material you want to see, or for advice on your project.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>To use the resources available at Lewisham Heritage, you need to <a href="https://www.archivescard.com/ARA/SignUp/ARAHUB/Create_Account.aspx?hkey=d5a25565-95c6-44d7-9327-a08aa65217f0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">register for an Archives Card</a>. You&rsquo;ll then need to <a href="https://lewisham.events.mylibrary.digital/browse-rooms?rooms=178,164" target="_blank" rel="noopener">book an appointment</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Archive material is available by appointment only.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The material we hold is in many cases irreplaceable, so it must be treated with great care. You will need to leave any large bag in a locker, and to use a pencil rather than a pen for making notes from archives.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Food and drink must not be consumed anywhere in the local history and archives centre.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>The area we cover</h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The borough of Lewisham includes the ancient parishes of St Margaret, Lee and St Mary, Lewisham, also the parish of St Paul, Deptford (the ancient parish of Deptford was divided in 1730 into the parishes of St Nicholas and St Paul. The parish of St Nicholas is now in the London Borough of Greenwich).</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The borough also includes the following districts: Bellingham, Beckenham (part), Blackheath (part), Brockley, Catford, Crofton Park, Downham, Forest Hill, Grove Park, Hatcham, Hither Green, Ladywell, New Cross, Southend, Sydenham.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>This area was in the county of Kent until 1889 when the London County Council was formed. The exception was the Hatcham/New Cross area of Deptford, which was in Surrey.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Deptford was in the Greenwich Registration District. Lee and Lewisham were in the Lewisham Registration District.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Contact: <a href="mailto:local.studies@lewisham.gov.uk">local.studies@lewisham.gov.uk&nbsp;</a></p>

Lewisham Heritage

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<h3>Contact details</h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div><strong>Telephone</strong> 0208 314 9800</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
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<div><strong>Email</strong> <a href="mailto:libraries@lewisham.gov.uk">libraries@lewisham.gov.uk</a></div>
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<div><strong>Address</strong> London Borough Of Lewisham, Third Floor, Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU</div>
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<h3>How to renew</h3>
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<p>You can renew your items in the following ways:</p>
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<p>By logging in to your library account on this site with your library card number and PIN</p>
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<p>In person at any <a href="https://libraries.lewisham.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">library in Lewisham</a></p>
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<p>By phoning one of our <a href="https://libraries.lewisham.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">libraries</a></p>
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<p>Through our automated phone line on 03333 704700</p>
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frodo

<p class="MsoNormal">It&rsquo;s Hobbit Day! Something I feel very keenly as a relatively short lover of food, drink, and minding my own business&hellip; And of course, a lover of all things <strong>Lord of the Rings</strong>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is an argument, that seems to happen every single time I sit down to watch this trilogy with my family. (And that folks, is actually quite often.)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Who is the <em>real</em> hero of the story?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Without a doubt, you could make a case for at a good number of characters as to how they could be classified a hero in the trilogy. In fact, <a href="https://lewishamlibraries.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/samwise-gamgee/">I&rsquo;m pretty sure Jake made a good case for Samwise Gamgee</a>, last hobbit day.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One argument that never fails to come up with my family, is that Frodo doesn&rsquo;t <em>really</em> count as the hero even though he is technically the main protagonist. Much of the argument is something in the vein of: <em>&lsquo;well Frodo is only the hero because he carries the ring, and even if that&rsquo;s difficult, he doesn&rsquo;t actually destroy it himself in the end.&rsquo;</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If there is one thing that I stand by, it&rsquo;s that it is downright harsh to argue Frodo is <em>only</em> a hero because he carries the ring.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frodo is very much a typical hobbit, though it is his character which makes him the right one for the role of ringbearer. The one thing that has always struck me is that he doesn&rsquo;t want the job. He offers the ring to Gandalf when it first passes to him, and his next suggestion is to hide it. Even when he does agree to take it outside of the shire, Frodo&rsquo;s only goal is to take the ring to Rivendell. When he quickly comes to understand that there is no one else to fulfil the role entirely, he offers himself; he steps up to the task not because it will grant him honour, but because he knows that it is the right thing to do. At the end of the Fellowship of the ring, things come to a head with the Uruk-hai pursuing the fellowship and Frodo&rsquo;s first instinct is to separate himself (and the ring) from the others. His heart is pure, and at every step of the journey he tries to do what is right. He bravely stepped up to do what was demanded of him, and that is the first mark of any hero.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This selfless good heartedness sets him apart from the other hobbits. That&rsquo;s not to say that the other hobbits don&rsquo;t make selfless sacrifices because that would be a bold face lie. However, Frodo&rsquo;s selflessness goes beyond the good of middle earth, and beyond the kinship of the fellowship. He extends compassion to the creature who undoubtedly had ill intentions towards him from the moment he began following them in Moria: Gollum. Though he does not trust Gollum, Frodo still recognises that Gollum may still play a role in their journey; he spares Gollum&rsquo;s life when Sam thinks it better to kill him, he allows Gollum to travel with them, and all the while he holds out hope for his redemption. Though Sam also spares Gollum&rsquo;s life, he is a) not happy about it, and b) never treats Gollum with anything less than suspicion and disdain. It is Sam&rsquo;s accusation that eventually pushes Gollum over the edge, though he resolved to serve Frodo.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whilst we&rsquo;re on Gollum, can we talk about how terrifying it must have been for Frodo to have a real-life mirror of the power of the ring&rsquo;s corruption, following him around like a shadow?! You could argue that every time Frodo looked at Gollum, he was looking at his own potential future if he failed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the rings power slowly affects him, Frodo only becomes more compassionate. More than that he is humble; he is not afraid to ask Gollum (his frenemy) for help as a guide; he leans on his friendship with Sam, going as far as to admit that he wouldn&rsquo;t have gotten far without Sam&rsquo;s help; he recognises the change happening within him and apologises to Sam (more than once) for his troubling behaviour. There are not many kinds of people that would grow kinder in their suffering, it is one more way I&rsquo;d argue that Frodo is most definitely heroic.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/N2HPysK/tolkein.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/N2HPysK/tolkein.jpg" /></div>
</center>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, Tolkien was a devout Catholic, and as a fellow Catholic it&rsquo;s <em>impossible</em> to ignore how much Catholic-ness is fused into this masterpiece. Tolkien is so loud with it, I&rsquo;m sure Haldir could shoot it in the dark. (Seriously, I&rsquo;ve been <em>trying</em> to hold back throughout this entire blog from being all nerdy about it&hellip; but I&rsquo;ll save that for another time perhaps.)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Everything I&rsquo;ve argued up until this point, leads into my next, which is that Frodo is a &lsquo;Jesus&rsquo; figure. So perhaps the most evident testimony of his heroism, is not in his physical ability but the fact that he manages to carry the ring for as long as he does.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Frodo takes on the journey to destroy the one ring, it kind of draws a parallel to Jesus carrying his cross- most especially in the final third of the trilogy. Frodo&rsquo;s suffering is one he accepts and takes onto himself, for the good of not just himself but all of Middle Earth. Frodo understands what it will cost him, and he suffers every moment along the way, and yet he persists anyway. In Catholicism this is called &lsquo;redemptive suffering,&rsquo; the very same concept that Jesus completes in his passion. It is at the heart of the Christian faith, and by extension (to the very Catholic Tolkien,) the highest form of heroism possible.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But of course, Frodo is not really Jesus, and so he fails. Right at the very end he fails; it is only by providence that the ring ends up destroyed. So, whilst even though could argue Frodo doesn&rsquo;t technically destroy the ring, it does not take away from Frodo&rsquo;s accomplishment at all. If anything, it is proof of his strength; nobody could have lasted as long against the ring&rsquo;s corruption. I would even argue that Frodo&rsquo;s failure is more important and relevant to us than if he&rsquo;d been able to give it up easily.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The reason you could argue a case for each member of the fellowship is proof enough that Lord of the Rings is not about <em>who</em> is the hero. In many ways, there is no hero, every member of the fellowship is integral to the task&rsquo;s success. So, the real question is, what credit is due to each character for their contributions?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It may be easy to dismiss Frodo because his battle is entirely invisible; while the rest of the fellowship are all battle cries and bloody swords, (even Sam kills an Orc or two) Frodo&rsquo;s battle is always silent and internal. His battle against the corruption of the ring is the most important part of the entire quest, and we&rsquo;ve pretty much established he&rsquo;s the only one who could have done it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frodo is a hero, even if accidentally so. He is a hero that does not even believe that he has done a heroic thing; he asks for no praise, and instead shows deep gratitude to those that went with him. He reflects all of us: ordinary, unassuming, and not entirely immune to the power of evil, but with hearts that are initially good. Frodo that reminds us, when it comes to battles between good and evil even ordinary hearts can make a difference.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So, let&rsquo;s pay this hobbit his dues, it&rsquo;s more than deserved.</span></p>

Zoe Ramsammy

Frodo Baggins: The silent hero of Lord of the Rings

pippilongstocking

<p><strong>Picture this:</strong> You are a feisty, red-haired 9-year-old girl with pigtails who is also superhumanly strong. You live with your horse and monkey and hoard of gold coins in a Swedish villa. Where are your parents you ask? Your father is a buccaneer captain who has gone missing at sea, and your mother sadly passed away shortly after you were born. They left you all those gold coins though! You have fun but are responsible and help those around you by being generous, wise, and kind. Sometimes you overembellish stories but there&rsquo;s no harm in that &ndash; maybe you did join the circus at some point, who can say otherwise. You have the freedom and agency to control your own life and the local village adults can&rsquo;t make you do a single thing. Good for you! Who needs adults to tell you what to do anyway? You are <strong>Pippi Longstocking</strong>!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/0qvvs9Y/9780192758231.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/0qvvs9Y/9780192758231.jpg" alt="Picture of the book cover of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Before sitting down to write this piece, I felt it was only fair that I revisited the world of Pippi Longstocking. How otherwise, in good conscious, could I provide an honest review and uphold the necessary journalistic integrity without asking the true question: had Pippi stood the test of time? Had she morphed through the rose-tinted view of a child&rsquo;s gaze from something ephemeral into something concrete and lasting, or was I going to be find the bitter, bitter disappointment of adulthood tinging yet another thing I had once enjoyed?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>So here I was, a 30-something combing through the children&rsquo;s fiction bookshelves on Monday afternoon in search of the super humanly strong red-haired wunderkind on the cover of any publication. I was slowly making a small pile of books to take home to join, what essentially were just other small piles of books blocking fire escape routes around the flat by this stage. It&rsquo;s okay, I thought, I work here, that&rsquo;s why I am making this small pile. This is why they let me come back here every day.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/0QGKrS9/9780192775078.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/0QGKrS9/9780192775078.jpg" alt="Picture of the book cover of Pippi Longstocking Goes Abroad by Astrid Lindgren" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In the end, I only went home with one book &ndash; Pippi Longstocking Goes Abroad, originally written in Swedish by <strong>Astrid Lindgren</strong> and translated into English by <strong>Susan Beard</strong> with accompanying illustrations by <strong>Lauren Child</strong>. Let&rsquo;s leave the other books for the real target demographic, I thought. Less piles of books to trip over, more books for children. A win-win.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Now, let me assure you, I had no cause for concern &ndash; neither about borrowing a children&rsquo;s book, nor about the quality of the literature. Several late-night binge-read stories later, I could confirm that Pippi has proven herself to be a timeless icon &ndash; wholly unaware of any of the constraints place upon her by her age, gender or status. Cue an audible sigh of relief. I was safe. Green light for Pippi!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Astrid Lindgren herself led an independent and unconventional life, choosing to remain an unwed mother, working to support herself, and advocating pacific anti-violent solutions and animal rights across Sweden. These sentiments shine through brilliantly in Pippi&rsquo;s superhuman strength which is never used to intimidate bullies but rather to lift her horse or pianos. Pippi&rsquo;s ultimate strength however lies in her ability to be confident in existing just exactly as she is. No time to play your games of polite manners and appropriate societal conduct. Pippi is who she is &ndash; take it or leave it! In many ways, Pippi acted as the conduit for everything you wish you could say or do, if only you had the courage. I know I was certainly Annika and Tommy, the neighbouring children looking on in awe as Pippi exercises full autonomy over her own life without any adult supervision. And yet Pippi is responsible and never takes advantage of her bizarre circumstances, remaining composed in moments of spontaneous flux. There are pancakes for dinner, medicine to be taken, the animals are fed and tended, gold doubloons are used sparingly, the accidental dismemberment of a shop mannequin is taken in stride. This is not a child gone wild &ndash; this is a child looking after herself and those around here as best she can. Better than the adults certainly.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>To say Pippi had a formative impact on my childhood would be redundant. I think Pippi was in fact the very childhood schema I adopted for myself, much like any child who wishes to both find and lose themselves in literature all at once. Pippi showed me the value of being just and fair and kind. She demonstrated that being silly and having fun were not incompatible with making moral choices and standing up for others. You could it seems, have a pet monkey and join the circus, all the while making sure your friends were safe and happy and doing good for others.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I hope Pippi&rsquo;s fearless and tender nature will resonate with anyone young or old, who still remembers what it feels like to be told what to do by grown-ups. Or perhaps just to find a little inspiration to break outside of the mould.</p>

Marianna Datsenko

Pippi Longstocking

5-books

<h3>I think it is important to read to children as much as possible.</h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Stories are one of life&rsquo;s great gifts and sharing and discovering them with my family is something that I enjoy. I also get the chance as part of my job to read stories with school classes and nurseries. As a Library Assistant I am sort of in the business of promoting reading and there are lots of reasons why literacy is an important thing (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-top-tips-to-encourage-children-to-read/10-top-tips-to-encourage-children-to-read#:~:text=Reading%20helps%20your%20child's%20wellbeing,on%20children%20of%20all%20ages." target="_blank" rel="noopener">as the DoE say</a> &lsquo;<em><strong>Reading helps your child&rsquo;s wellbeing, develops imagination and has educational benefits too</strong></em>&rsquo;) but, for me, the main reason to read is simply that I have found books and stories have been one of the main joys throughout my life and I want to share that as long as anyone will listen.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here are some of the books that we have tried and tested at home &ndash; we have a six-year-old and a ten-year-old, so we try to have stories that work for both of them.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>5) Best Friends by Jacqueline Wilson</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>This is a funny and sympathetic story about best friends Alice and Gemma &ndash; who are very different but share everything. It is written from Gemma&rsquo;s point of view - a primary school girl whose best friend is moving away. I know that Jacqueline Wilson has been one of the greats of children&rsquo;s literature for years &ndash; but this is the first one of hers that we have read. She has that quality of really showing it from the child&rsquo;s point of view &ndash; how it is to feel powerless in an adults&rsquo; world. I think a lot of authors try to do that &ndash; but end up being patronising. It&rsquo;s very touching and sweet and very funny at the same time.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>4) Sam &amp; Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett illustrated by Jon Klassen</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In which Sam and Dave dig a hole hoping that something interesting happens. This is a picture book that is great for sharing with individual children or big groups. Doesn&rsquo;t every child try digging for treasure? And digging through the Earth? It is one of those ones where the pictures are doing at least as much of the storytelling work as the words. I enjoy just reading the words with a straight face and waiting for the kids to point out what else is going on &ndash; and there are also some subtle visual clues that the kids will probably spot before you.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>3) Julian at the Wedding by Jessica Love</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In this story Julian attends an outside wedding and has a magical adventure with his friend in a fairy house. This picture book is so beautiful and joyful. It relies on the visual even more than &lsquo;Sam &amp; Dave&rsquo;. It has very few words, but the pictures convey so much. It&rsquo;s as if the author has squeezed as much love and positivity into this story as possible &ndash; at every opportunity there is something sweet happening. &nbsp;It is a great one just to look at and talk about with the kids. And we go to a fairy house tree just like they do!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>2) The Way to the Zoo, Oi! Get Off Our Train and It&rsquo;s a Secret by John Burningham</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>A girl finds a tunnel between her room and the zoo; A boy drives a train around the world picking up animal passengers; two children go to a secret party for the Queen of the Cats. I put these three together because I can&rsquo;t separate them &ndash; they are not an official series &ndash; but my favourite John Burningham books are these night-time adventure fantasies. Amazing things happen when the parents are asleep and then it&rsquo;s back to normal in the morning. They are great dreamy reads for bedtime. These are picture books that have quite a lot of words &ndash; the beautiful illustrations do enhance the stories &ndash; but it&rsquo;s all contained in the words.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>1) Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe by Jorge Cham &amp; Daniel Whiteson</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>This is a non-fiction book that deals with things like space travel; time travel; teleportation and black holes. We like to read information books like this one that are well written and entertaining. We are particularly enjoying this one because it is very mysterious and speculative and open-ended. Space travel and exploding stars somehow feel like appropriate subjects to dream about at bedtime.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thanks for reading and hopefully you (and the kids!) will enjoy this selection of recommendations I have put together!</p>

Paul Nash

5 books to read to your children this Summer

hero-of-two-worlds

Jake Weatherill

Hero of Two Worlds

biodiversity

<p>We recently marked occasions that are dedicated especially to the environment. In close succession we had <strong>World Bee Day</strong>, <strong>International Biodiversity Day</strong>, <strong>World Turtle Day, </strong>and earlier this week it was <strong>World Environment Day</strong>&hellip; So, I took that as a sign to round it all off with a blog to show some love to our weird and wonderful world.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />I wanted to find a way to try to link all these things together. It turns out, both bees and Turtles have one very sad thing in common- they&rsquo;re both endangered. And they aren&rsquo;t alone on the list.&nbsp;Not only that, but it turns out that their survival is crucial to our survival (cue the lion king&rsquo;s &lsquo;circle of life,&rsquo; sue me Disney.) Our world is so wonderfully interconnected&hellip; and while I doubt a little flutter of butterfly wings could change the course of the future, even the smallest of creatures are important.</p>
<p><br />Here are some endangered creatures that we literally would not be able to live without!</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><br />1. &nbsp; &nbsp;Bees</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The first time I heard about the plight of the Bess was during my English GCSE exam, which was oddly about Colony Collapse Disorder. Pair that with the <strong>Bee Movie</strong>, and naturally I&rsquo;ve come to grow a fascination with them.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Bees are pollinators they help plants and flowers to grow by transporting pollen on their flights; as humans we rely on bees to pollinate about 75% of the crops that we eat. Not to mention they are also responsible for the pollinations of 90% of wild plant life too.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Today, bees are considered endangered due to changes in agricultural practices, parasites, and predators and even potentially because of Wi-Fi! (Wi-Fi, scientists speculate, disrupts bee&rsquo;s sense of orientation due to its electromagnetic radiation)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">2. &nbsp; &nbsp;Turtles</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Turtles have been on the list of endangered animals since 1978, which is a pretty long time. But why are so many people desperate to save these silent sea dwellers?&nbsp;</p>
<p>Well, Turtles are vital to our ocean ecosystems, protecting coral and sea grass from invasive species that can harm underwater plant life. This is a huge deal considering that corals and Sea grass play a huge role in carbon capture in the ongoing battle with climate change. Turtles as adorable as they are, also fall low on the food chain&hellip; They are food to sharks and killer whales, and their hatchlings that don&rsquo;t make it also provide important nutrients for predators like birds that help to keep coastal environments in balance.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The biggest threat to turtles is not just plastic straws, but the commercial fishing industry. The number of turtles &lsquo;accidentally&rsquo; caught up in nets or with fish amounts in the hundreds of thousands. And it&rsquo;s not just turtles- sharks, birds, whales, and dolphins all fall into this sad &lsquo;bycatch&rsquo; category. It&rsquo;s estimated 40% of all worldwide catches are bycatch.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">3. &nbsp; &nbsp;Prickly Pear Cactus</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Some of the most unnoticed and underrated living creatures in our world are the plants! One such example is the prickly pear cactus.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Native to the Americas, and the Caribbean this particular are used for food by humans, animals, and critters alike! Many of its varieties are now critically endangered due to other invasive plant species and destruction of its natural home. Losing this cactus would have knock on effects for the humans, animals and critters that depend on it; and it would change the land itself.&nbsp;</p>
<p>New plant life could bring other invasive critters, or different prey and predators that could completely wipe out the existing habitat as we know it! Now that&rsquo;s a terrifying thought.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">4. &nbsp; &nbsp;Sharks</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Often feared, and greatly misunderstood, Sharks are truly underrated and underappreciated. It&rsquo;s safe to say that without sharks, the oceans ecosystem as we know it would completely fall apart.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A world without sharks would be a complete disaster. These apex predators keep all other animals in their food chain in balance, without them their prey can become overabundant which can have knock on effects which can lead to extinction the entire food chain. Sharks also responsible for depositing nutrients to corals in shallower waters, and their bodies store carbon which makes them invaluable to fighting climate change.</p>
<p>Ironically, since &lsquo;<strong>Jaws</strong>,&rsquo; Sharks have been hunted and killed in the name of making beaches safer, and they are also eaten in many parts of the world. The sad fact is that over a third of all shark species are currently endangered, and while there are organisations dedicated to their conservation, that doesn&rsquo;t mean that we shouldn&rsquo;t do our part too!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">5. &nbsp; &nbsp;Axolotl&nbsp;</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>This Salamander, native to Mexico, are as unique in their looks as they are in their abilities. The name &lsquo;Axolotl&rsquo; comes from the Aztec God Xolotl, so these creatures have had had huge cultural significance for centuries!</p>
<p>They may not look scary, but Axolotl&rsquo;s are the top of their food chain, making them crucial to help balance populations of other animals within their food chain. Axolotls are also used as an indicator of how clean water is; the more axolotls inhabiting the water, the cleaner it is!&nbsp;</p>
<p>There are quite possibly exciting research possibilities surrounding these strange creatures, but the more dire focus should be getting these creatures back from being critically endangered. Threatened by urbanization, pollution, and invasive species; losing this wacky but wonderful creature would be a huge loss to our planet&rsquo;s biodiversity.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">6. &nbsp; &nbsp;Venus Fly Trap</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Venus fly trap. Stuff of nightmares, Mario bros, and one particular little shop of horrors. (My degree is quaking&hellip;)&nbsp;</p>
<p>They are quite intelligent; they never snap for false alarms, closing only when multiple of their trigger hairs are set off in quick succession. Even more interestingly, though they do eat insects, Venus fly traps never trap their pollinators.&nbsp;</p>
<p>These plants are found only in North and South Carolina, so the fact that they are currently vulnerable because of poaching (yes, that is a thing,) and habitat loss means that if they are lost, they&rsquo;re gone forever.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">7. &nbsp; &nbsp;Scottish wildcat</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
</center>
<p>A little bit closer to home, the Scottish wildcat also called the &lsquo;Highland Tiger&rsquo; is, you guessed it native to Scotland!&nbsp;</p>
<p>The only surviving member of the Wild cat family in Europe, they are natural predators to small animals such as rabbits, mice, voles, and other small animals.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The biggest threat these feline friends face is genetic extinction due to hybridisation. As they come into increasing contact with other hybrids, domesticated, and feral cats. They are also at risk from habitat loss, and road collisions as humans expand their reach.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Conservation efforts have been well underway for a long time by Scotland&rsquo;s Nature Agency, and the Wildcat is recognised as a protected European species but there&rsquo;s still plenty to be done. Hopefully there&rsquo;s still enough time to preserve this highland tiger.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">8. &nbsp; &nbsp;Pygmy 3 toed sloth&nbsp;</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/rtFRXRt/4zhzw2pmf0-i-Stock-000016816803-XLarge-mini.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/rtFRXRt/4zhzw2pmf0-i-Stock-000016816803-XLarge-mini.jpg" alt="A photo of a pygmy 3 toed sloth hanging from a branch" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Sloths have existed since the ice age, I mean&hellip; exhibit A: The ice age movie franchise.&nbsp;</p>
<p>One would imagine that sloths are the most boring, uninteresting creatures on the planet and its practically sheer dumb luck that have seen them survive and evolve in the way that they have.&nbsp;</p>
<p>So why are they so important? &nbsp;Well, Sloths are their very own ecosystems. Within their fur they house diverse critters, and because of the moisture they retain they are also home to fungi and algae. This relationship is symbiotic, sloths fur becomes discoloured by it&rsquo;s home dwellers which help it to camouflage with it&rsquo;s environment.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This means that every sloth out there is home to a completely different ecosystem depending on the types and amounts of critters and algae it houses, how cool is that!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">9. &nbsp; &nbsp;Pangolins&nbsp;</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>No, not armadillos&hellip; though they do have some similarities. Pangolins.</p>
<p>Pangolins, also known by the moniker &lsquo;protectors of the forests,&rsquo; eat up to 70 million bugs a year. Though they may look reptilian they are in fact mammals, and even with striking resemblances to both armadillos and anteaters they are far more closely related to cats, dogs, and bears.</p>
<p>The pangolin also has the reputation for being the most trafficked animals on their planet. Illegal poaching has decimated their numbers, leaving the 8 species of this shy gentle creature on a sliding range between Vulnerable to critically endangered.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As natural pest control, losing pangolins would have catastrophic consequences for the forests they inhabit. Without Pangolins keeping termite colonies balanced, we could lose significant amounts of our planet&rsquo;s forests to termite destruction.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">10. &nbsp; &nbsp;Earthworms&nbsp;</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://ibb.co/L9vtNmf"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/JrC73VP/earthworm-A.jpg" alt="A close up photo of an earthworm" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Of all the creatures to exist, you would assume that the worms are safe; but to my surprise I found that they&rsquo;re classified as vulnerable&hellip; So, not quite endangered just yet, but they could possibly be very well on their way.&nbsp;<br />Save the worms may not have quite the same appeal as cute fuzzy Bees, but worms are vital to our agriculture. Earthworm tunnels help to introduce air, drain water and their waste provides helpful compost. All their tunnelling also helps to make space for growing plant roots.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />It&rsquo;s safe to say that without these grossly wonderful critters, plants, animals, and humans would not be able to survive. We are all connected by a delicate balance, a spiderweb of interdependence; from the tiniest bug to the biggest mammal, we all have a role to play in keeping our planet going. Breaking one chain, even if it seems small an unimportant, can have devastating consequences that reverberate far beyond us.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Global biodiversity means <strong>Global responsibility</strong>. Even though some of the animals on this list may not view it as their responsibility (or perhaps they do, who knows maybe sharks can have mid life crisis&rsquo; too?) They all do their part to keep our world in balance.&nbsp;<br />That means that we have a responsibility too.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Sadly most, if not all, of the living creatures on this list have been affected by climate change or some other form of human intervention. We owe it to these animals, to ourselves, to look after each other and our planet. If we fail to look after any of it, we doom all of it.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />And just so that this doesn&rsquo;t end on a depressing note&hellip; What can ordinary folks like us do to help?&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Learn as much as you can! Read books, watch documentaries, listen to podcasts&hellip; There&rsquo;s a treasure trove of information out there just waiting for you to grasp it.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>Check out our <a href="https://libbyapp.com/library/tlc/curated-1452779/page-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Environment Day collection</a> of eBooks on Libby</strong></em></p>
<p><br />&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Reduce (or completely cut) fish from your diet. This one is not cut and dry and it comes down to individual discretion. The goal for us should really be sustainability when it comes to all the things that we do, including the way we eat. As it stands, Commercial fishing is one of if not the biggest contributor to destroying not just our oceans but our entire planet so cutting back on fish and other seafoods contributes less to the industry.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Plant something!&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Reduce your carbon footprint by walking to work, or part of the way, for a couple days a week.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Sell or Donate your old clothes, books, and electronics!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://lewishamdonationhub.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lewisham Donation Hub</a></strong></em></p>
<p><br />&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Take a packed lunch to work or school.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://www.pressreader.com/catalog/magazines/food-drinks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hundreds of current food &amp; drink magazines and thousands of backissues available free on Pressreader</a></strong></em></p>
<p><br />&bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Remember the 7 R&rsquo;s to making greener choices: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Regift, Reuse, Recycle, Rot!</p>
<p><br />Even the smallest changes can make the biggest impact! &nbsp;</p>

The Unsung heroes of Global Biodiversity

spiderverse

<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>&lsquo;Spider-Man. Spider-Man.&nbsp;</em><br /><em>Does whatever a Spider can.&nbsp;</em><br /><em>Spins a web, any size,</em><br /><em>Catches thieves just like flies.</em><br /><em>Look out! Here comes the Spider-Man.&rsquo;</em></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p>Can you believe I haven&rsquo;t done a comic based blog since February? It&rsquo;s a travesty! So given June is a veritable feast of superheorey goodness I decided to take advantage of it!&nbsp;So as you probably gathered we&rsquo;re starting with everyone&rsquo;s favourite webbed wonder, <strong>Spider-Man</strong>!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse</strong> comes out in cinema&rsquo;s this week, and it&rsquo;s going to be a Spideyfest (<em>trademark pending</em>). And if you think you know Spider-Man think again as we explore some of the Spider&rsquo;s who are going to be cropping up in the sequel to the Oscar winning <strong>Into The Spider-Verse</strong>!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Peter Benjamin Parker, The Amazing Spider-Man:</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="height: 100%; width: 100%; object-fit: contain;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/4tM5SWS/peterbparker.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/4tM5SWS/peterbparker.jpg" alt="Peter B Parker from Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse" /></div>
</center>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br />An older, more jaded <strong>Peter Parker</strong> who sort of ends up playing the mentor role to <strong>Miles Morales</strong> (see below). An amalgam of various &lsquo;mainstream&rsquo; depictions of Spidey (although the greying temples certainly give of some fantastic vibes) throughout the years. Pretty much your classic Spidey power set, but with a more cynical, less na&iuml;ve version of Peter Parker than we have previously seen. This spin on a classic means that you don&rsquo;t feel like you have seen this Spidey (or any of them) before. The poster for Across The Spider-Verse has tantalisingly given us a glimpse into this Spidey&rsquo;s post Into The Spider-Verse life, with seemingly his very own Spider-Baby hanging from his hair.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>Recommended reading: </em></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://libbyapp.com/search/tlc/series-587517/page-1/4455691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day Volume 1</a></em></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/BcYjbPp/brandnewday.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/BcYjbPp/brandnewday.jpg" alt="Cover of The Amazing Spider-Man Brand New Day Volume 1" /></div>
</center>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Miles Morales, Spider-Man:</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/2KyJDds/milesmorales.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/2KyJDds/milesmorales.jpg" alt="Miles Morales from Spider-Man Into the Spider Verse" /></div>
</center>
<p><br />Heir to the Spider-Mantle in the first film, stepping up to replace his worlds <strong>Peter Parker</strong>. A historically significant given he is the first Black Spider-Man, the first Latino Spidey, and only the 3rd person to permanently take up the Spider-Man identity in 61 years.</p>
<p><strong>Miles Morales</strong> was originally created for Marvel&rsquo;s <strong>Ultimate Universe</strong> (an early 00&rsquo;s attempt to update the classic Marvel characters for a new generation) to succeed that universes Parker. While possessing the classic powers of wallcrawling and Spider-Sense Miles has some pretty unique powers of his own, such as the ability to turn invisible/camouflage with his surrounding and deliver bioelectrical &lsquo;stings&rsquo; from his hands.</p>
<p>Given the big shoes he has had to fill and the very stop/start nature of the post Ultimatum Ultimate Universe, Miles' ascendence to one of the most popular Marvel Characters is a testament to his depth and development as a character.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>Recommended reading: </em></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://libbyapp.com/search/tlc/search/query-ultimate%20spider-man/page-1/7035553" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man (2014)</a></em></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/QdNdmpC/milesmoralesultimate.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/QdNdmpC/milesmoralesultimate.jpg" alt="Cover of Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man" /></div>
</center>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><br />Ben Reilly, The Scarlet Spider:</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/82yZLg3/benreilly.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/82yZLg3/benreilly.jpg" alt="Ben Reilly from Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse" /></div>
</center>
<p><br />Possibly a Spider you might not be aware of, who has been around almost as long as Peter Parker, <strong>Ben Reilly</strong> is <strong>The Scarlet Spider.</strong> Debuting in <strong>The Amazing Spider-Man Issue 149</strong> as a clone of Peter Parker created by the insane <strong>Jackal</strong> (Peter&rsquo;s ex-lecturer <strong>Miles Warren</strong>) and the two are forced to fight to the death, only for them to team up to save the day, seemingly at the cost of Reilly&rsquo; life.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Fast forward a few years as Peter is trying to settle down in preparation of a family life, Ben reappears throwing Peter&rsquo;s life into disarray. Living a nomadic existence in between appearances Ben ultimately steps up to, and falls fulfilling, the role of Spider-Man with an iconic costume to boot!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>Recommended reading: </em></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://libbyapp.com/search/tlc/search/query-SCARLET%20SPIDER/page-1/7676497" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider (2017) Volume 1</a></em></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/y6Nh3TZ/scarletspider.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/y6Nh3TZ/scarletspider.jpg" alt="Cover of Ben Reilly The Scarlet Spider Volume 1" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Gwen Stacy, Spider-Woman/Spider-Gwen:</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/0YjC9f7/gwen.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/0YjC9f7/gwen.jpg" alt="Gwen Stacy from Spider-Man Into the SPider-Verse" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />In a world where everything is the same, but a little bit different along came a spider and bit a curious teenager on a field trip. Except this wasn&rsquo;t Peter Parker, but <strong>Gwen Stacy</strong>. In a classic example of how one little change can everything Gwen becoming her universes <strong>Spider-Woman</strong> would see Peter heading down a completely different path which would lead to Parker becoming her worlds <strong>Lizard</strong>. Gwen is arguably one of the most capable and skilled Spidey&rsquo;s in the multiverse, forged in the heat of adversity and heartbreak.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>Recommended reading: </em></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://libbyapp.com/search/tlc/search/query-spider%20gwen/page-1/4908747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spider-Gwen (2015) Volume 0</a></em></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/RStd4wm/spidergwen.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/RStd4wm/spidergwen.jpg" alt="Cover of Spider-Gwen Volume 0" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman:</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/6wPKpgx/spiderwoman.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/6wPKpgx/spiderwoman.jpg" alt="Spider-Woman from Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse" /></div>
</center>
<p><br /><strong>Jessica Drew</strong> originally from jolly old England, and re-locating to Wundagore Mountain with her geneticist parents where exposure to radiation makes her very ill. Her father injects her with a serum made from irradiated spiders to help try and cure her, however he has to leave her in suspended animation for this to work. This serum leaves Jessica transformed into one of The Spider-People, but with a slight variance on the powerset. Although she has the standard wall crawling powers, she also has venom blasts, not entirely dissimilar to Miles &lsquo;stings&rsquo;. Jessica will go from Villain to Avenger over her life, and becoming a mother along the way.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>Recommended reading: </em></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://libbyapp.com/search/tlc/search/query-spider%20woman/page-1/7126632">Spider-Woman (2015) Volume 1</a></em></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/0ZLK5DZ/spiderwoman-1.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/0ZLK5DZ/spiderwoman-1.jpg" alt="Cover pf Spider-Woman Volume 1" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Pavitr Prabhakar, Spider-Man India</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/122whRy/india.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/122whRy/india.jpg" alt="Spider-Man India from Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Based out of Mumbai, <strong>Pavitr Prabhakar</strong> is arguably at the more unique end of Spider-People. Rather than science his powers and enemies are derived more from mysticism and magic. Pavitr himself gains his powers not from the bite of an irradiated or genetically modified spider, but are bestowed upon him by an old Yogi in preparation for the threats on the horizon. The two classic villains he confronts in <strong>Doc Ock</strong> and <strong>Green Goblin</strong> are subjects of demonic possession rather than a product of a scientific accident and an attempt to replicate the Super Soldier Formula respectively (albeit varying levels of willingness to being possessed by a demon). How Pavitr will impact the Spiderverse is as yet unknown, but could have a completely different effect to most of the &lsquo;sciencey&rsquo; Spidey&rsquo;s.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>Recommended reading: </em></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://libbyapp.com/search/tlc/search/query-web%20warriors/page-1/6248563" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Web Warriors of the Spider-Verse Volume 1</em></a></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/mDJYh2C/webwarriors.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/mDJYh2C/webwarriors.jpg" alt="Cover of Web Warriors of the Spider-Verse Volume 1" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><br />Hobie Brown, Spider-Punk:</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/zbsN2c4/spiderpunk.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/zbsN2c4/spiderpunk.jpg" alt="Spider-Punk from Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />In a world where <strong>Norman Osborn</strong> is president of The USA, supported by his symbiote enhanced V.E.N.O.M troopers who can be relied upon to protect the people of New York from tyranny? <strong>Hobie Brown</strong>, the Spectacular Spider-Punk! Bitten by a spider that was irradiated courtesy of Osborn&rsquo; Toxic Waste Dumps, Brown dons his mask and electric guitar to confront injustice and topple President Osborn by any means necessary.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>Recommended reading: </em></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://libbyapp.com/search/tlc/search/query-spider-verse/page-1/5977539" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spider-Verse: Spider-Zero</a></em></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/rwXKn5b/spiderzero.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/rwXKn5b/spiderzero.jpg" alt="Coover of Spider-Verse Spider-Zero" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Miguel O&rsquo;Hara, Spider-Man 2099:&nbsp;</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/S0wvrqD/2099.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/S0wvrqD/2099.jpg" alt="Spider-Man 2099 from Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />The Spider-Man of tomorrow comes today! After the end of the Heroic Age and the decline of The Supes the world undergoes some massive transformations, leading us to the Neo-Noir world of 2099. In 2099 <strong>Miguel O&rsquo;Hara</strong> is a geneticist for Alchemax, the big shadowy conglomerate wielding an outsized influence on late 21st century America. After having his drink spiked with a highly addictive drug Miguel attempts to use a device to overwrite his DNA with his pre-drugged DNA. Sabotage leads to someone contributing the DNA profile of a spider into the mix and thus Spider-Man 2099 is born! Miguel&rsquo;s powers are an interesting mix of the classics such as wallcrawling, with some new ones such as enhanced vision allowing him to see in the dark, as well as organic webbing, talons and venomous fangs. The Leader of a Multiversal Spider-Society in Across The Spider-Verse, Miguel will find himself and Miles drawn into conflict.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>Recommended reading: </em></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://libbyapp.com/search/tlc/search/query-spider%20verse/page-1/5225119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spider-Verse</a></em></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/3swTM63/spiderverse.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/3swTM63/spiderverse.jpg" alt="Cover of Spider-Verse" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>So there&rsquo;s some of the big guns in the Spider-Verse, but there&rsquo;s many more you will be introduced to in the film! All that&rsquo;s left for me to do is thwip thwip to my nearest cinema on June 2nd. Adios!&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>All our recommended reads and many more Spider-Man graphic novels can be read instantly for free with your Lewisham Libraries card and pin number thanks to <a href="https://libbyapp.com/library/tlc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Libby</a></h4>

Know your Spider-Man: A guide to who's who in the Spider-Verse

heritage

<p>For someone so young, I&rsquo;ve spent ridiculous amount of time thinking about the idea of heritage. So much so that at a quarter of my lifespan, I&rsquo;ve already got 2 identity crises under my belt. (Go me!)</p>
<p><br />In truth, this word, <strong>heritage</strong>, haunts me often. It&rsquo;s something that I am curious about, inspired by, am tethered to&hellip; So naturally, when asked to contribute to this merry blog I leapt (admittedly without thinking) into writing something for <strong>World Heritage Day</strong>.</p>
<p><br />So, what do I present to you on this fine day, you ask? Well Books of course!&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Before I get into my list, I feel like it&rsquo;s in my best interest to define &lsquo;<strong>heritage</strong>&rsquo;, because I may have strayed a little bit from what World Heritage Day encapsulates. So here goes, courtesy of the Cambridge online Dictionary:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br /><strong>Heritage</strong><br /><em><strong>noun</strong></em><br /><em>Features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages, or buildings, that were created in the past and still have historical importance.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br />This idea of language, of tradition, handed down as a form of legacy; this is the definition with which I conjured up this list. This is the lens through which I read these books, and I sincerely hope that you will find these books to be absolute jewels, just as I did.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br />Here are 5 books that really appreciate the beauty and significance of cultures around the world!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><br />1. &nbsp; &nbsp;Babel by R.F. Kuang</h1>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://cdn.waterstones.com/bookjackets/large/9780/0085/9780008501815.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.waterstones.com/bookjackets/large/9780/0085/9780008501815.jpg" /></div>
</center>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br />Now, I am a sucker for all things fantasy, so when this book blew up Bookstagram as I knew it, I knew I had to read it.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br />The book follows Robin, a young boy taken from Canton and raised in England by an Oxford Professor, for the sole purpose of becoming a scholar. But not any scholar, nay nay, he is being groomed to be a translator at Oxford University&rsquo;s prestigious Institute of Translation aka Babel.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br />I could write an essay on this book, there is so much to unpack, so much of it that spoke to me. However, the reason that this book makes this list, and places first, is its masterful portrayal of language. Kuang illustrates how deeply language is tied to our identity, our perception, our legacy. This book is a celebration of language and diversity, especially in a setting that seeks to paradoxically destroy and exploit it.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br />Was I emotionally drained after reading this book? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<br />2. &nbsp; &nbsp;The Dragon Can&rsquo;t Dance by Earl Lovelace</h1>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://d1ldy8a769gy68.cloudfront.net/300/089/255/234/4/0892552344.jpg"><img src="https://d1ldy8a769gy68.cloudfront.net/300/089/255/234/4/0892552344.jpg" /></div>
</center>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p>The book follows a few of the inhabitants of Calvary Hill, as they work through their everyday lives. The Spirit of Carnival in all its social and political glory is revealed when these locals flaunt their personas in the masquerade.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The dragon can&rsquo;t dance captures the spirit of carnival in Trinidad and Tobago- arguably, one of the biggest celebrations of culture on the world stage. This choice is also particularly personal; for me it was a reclaiming and exploration of my own heritage.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The book is set at a time of great political and economic unrest, right off the back of Trinidad claiming independence in the 60&rsquo;s. Lovelace writes with a beautiful sharpness that captures the pungent reality of living in poverty, the political and racial tensions of the 70&rsquo;s in Trinidad, and the struggle of what it means to have both personal and national identity.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Overall, though it&rsquo;s admittedly not my usual kind of read, I definitely enjoyed it! There is something truly striking in Lovelace&rsquo;s portrayal, that really exposes how integral and special Trinidadian Carnival is.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">3. &nbsp; &nbsp;Orfeia by Joanne Harris</h1>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519JyV-oQ9L.jpg"><img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519JyV-oQ9L.jpg" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Fay, a mother grieving for her lost daughter, is struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of her daughter Daisy. She becomes convinced that Daisy is still alive, trapped by the Hallowe&rsquo;en King. She ventures into London Beyond, then the Night Train to the realm of the Hallowe&rsquo;en King with the hopes that she will rescue her daughter.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />What is our culture if not our stories? This is based on English folklore, specifically the tale of Orpheus, and Harris&rsquo; writing is as faerie tale-like as they come. There&rsquo;s just something about this one that keeps you constantly off kilter. Admittedly it often does feel quite simple, but when you peel back the layers you find that there&rsquo;s a little bit more to it.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />It truly is a beautiful exploration of grief, especially something so incomprehensible like the loss of a child. Reading this really struck me; fairy tales give us space to confront the complexity of our emotions, and even as adults- maybe especially as adults- we need that.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">4. &nbsp; &nbsp;The Dancing Face by Mike Phillips</h1>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</h1>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://www.pagesofhackney.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/9780241482674-324x498.jpg"><img src="https://www.pagesofhackney.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/9780241482674-324x498.jpg" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>British University Professor Gus wants to make a statement. He plots to steal the Benin mask- the dancing face- from where it is housed in a British museum. This plot endangers his loved ones, his morals, his very life. Is Gus prepared for what it will cost him?</p>
<p>At the heart of this book is a quest for reclaiming culture; quite literally. It involves a heist to take back a piece of tradition. I loved that it brings to light the very real and difficult debate about what should happen to artefacts displaced by colonialism- and if anything, the narrative points to just how complex that debate really is.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There is no easy or clear-cut answer, and I don&rsquo;t think that Phillips intended to give us one either. Instead, Phillips leaves you ruminating (I did for days, weeks afterwards&hellip;) on what the right choice really is and how someone ordinary can really make a difference.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">5. &nbsp; &nbsp;Children of Bone and Blood by Tomi Adeyemi</h1>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61+zre5WiGL.jpg"><img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61+zre5WiGL.jpg" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In the land of Orisha, magic is forbidden. The Maji were slaughtered in the hopes of extinguishing it.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />When Zelie stumbles across an unlikely companion, she gets the chance to bring back magic and strike back against the monarchy that took her mother. To do it she&rsquo;ll have to outrun a vengeful prince, face unimaginable dangers and yet&hellip; the greatest danger could just be Zelie herself as she struggles to tame her own magic and her growing feelings for her enemy.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />My love for fantasy is very closely linked to my continued enjoyment of YA fiction, and I make no apologies for it. So, this is technically a YA novel. Children of Bone and Blood is based on Nigerian mythology, and you can feel how purposefully West-African culture is weaved into the fabric of this story from the very first page.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />There&rsquo;s so much to be said on the commentary, the representation, the fantasy elements. I could gush forever. Adeyemi manages to fuse together language, culture, and the land to produce a captivating world and riveting story.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Honourable Mention:</h1>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Rumaysa by Radiya Hafiz</h1>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vTb2gVCLL.jpg"><img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vTb2gVCLL.jpg" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Three fairy tales (Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty) brilliantly retold an interweaved, with different lovable faces at the helm!</p>
<p>Rumaysa decides to escape from her tower, and with the magic she finds within she is able to defeat the witch. On her quest to reunite with her parents she stumbles into the stories of Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara. It&rsquo;s quite an adventure, and she makes some great friends along the way.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This is admittedly, children&rsquo;s fiction, but it so beautifully done that I feel absolutely no shame in including it here on my list. This is a beautiful example of how we can empower our future generations with purposeful representation and capture the beauty of our traditions, to encourage those that come after us to hold on to those special parts of who they are.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s something magical about being able to step into different worlds and cultures through the pages of a book; I hope that this list shed some light on, and truly celebrates, some of the many different backgrounds we share in our community.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />I hope you&rsquo;ve enjoyed my list as much as I enjoyed making it!</p>

World Heritage Day: Celebrating our Differences

englands-queen-who-never-was-a-review-of-matilda-empress-queen-warrior-by-catherine-hanley

<p>What if I told you the first woman to be heir to the throne of England was not Mary I (the infamous Bloody Mary of History)?. What if I said it wasn&rsquo;t even the nine day queen Lady Jane Grey? Before the Tudors, before The Wars of The Roses, and before The Plantagenet Dynasty would wage The Hundred Years War (actually it was 116 years in duration but I don&rsquo;t think it quite has the same ring to it so that&rsquo;s probably why they went with something snappier) there was another. Someone who every person to sit upon the throne of England since 1154 is descended from. Please allow me to introduce you to <strong>The Empress Matilda</strong>, England&rsquo;s Queen that never was.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Back when The Norman Conquest wasn&rsquo;t even a century old Matilda had been selected by her Father Henry I, King of England, as his heir to the throne. In the days where women were still very much seen and treated as second class citizens this was a truly momentous decision by Henry I that would go on to have ramifications throughout the contemporary period and beyond.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br /><strong>Catherine Hanley</strong> starts the tale of Matilda&rsquo;s life with her early betrothment to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V (just to add a tad of confusion to proceedings because there&rsquo;s a fair few Henry&rsquo;s in this). Standing on the bow of a ship taking her to the continent, Hanley breaks down the 8 Year Old Matilda&rsquo;s heritage while giving us an overview of diplomatic processes and the geo-political situation at the time. The first section focuses on her growing up within The Holy Roman Empire, away from her family, and Matilda&rsquo;s adaptation to life as a rulers consort with the expectations that came with this.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />When her marriage to Henry V is cut short via his untimely death in 1125 Matilda gets a brief reprieve from being a diplomatic bargaining chip before remarrying to Geoffrey, Count of Anjou in 1128. This had been arranged by her father to secure the southern borders of the Duchy of Normandy from outside threats.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Hanley then takes us away from Matilda for a time, and back to 1120. This date is significant as it is the year that unforeseen events will lead to a succession crisis within The Norman dynasty. The death of Henry I&rsquo;s son William Adelin in the channel during The White Ship disaster that year would leave England in a precarious position. Hanley uses this part of the book to lay the foundations for the future conflict that will engulf England. In this phase of the book we look at Henry I&rsquo;s reasoning and deliberations that will see Matilda be recognised as the heir to the English Crown.</p>
<p><br />The final part of Hanley&rsquo;s work can be divided into two sections, both focusing on different phases of the same thing. After the death of her Father the expectation is that Matilda should ascend to the throne. This is partially because of her fathers ruling that she was his designated heir, partly because of the oaths of loyalty sworn by the Anglo-Norman nobility. Yet such things are not assurances as we now understand them, and the path of succession in the medieval world was far from a set thing. No Norman succession had been peaceful, and Matilda&rsquo;s would be no different. Her cousin Stephen of Blois would move against Matilda. Taking advantage of her being on the opposite side of The English Channel Stephen would have himself crowned the King of England and anarchy would ensue.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Hanley uses the final half of her history of Matilda to document the events of The Anarchy, a decade and a half Civil War over the succession of Henry I by Matilda and Stephen that would ravage late Norman England from 1138-1153. Covering the key moments of the conflict under the two claimants to the throne such as The Battle of Lincoln, The Rout of Winchester and the 1142 Siege of Oxford, before moving on to the scions of the two conflicting rulers as a new generation takes the lead in the war.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />I first remember stumbling across Matilda as a child. My grandparents, eager to nurture my interest in history, had given me two small books on the Kings &amp; Queens of England and Britain. Her entry in the book can&rsquo;t have been more than a few lines, given that it was primarily aimed at children I suspect the concepts of wars of succession were seen as something beyond our infantile understanding. So when I was browsing a rival audiobook provider and stumbled across Hanley&rsquo;s work I though I would try and improve my base of historical knowledge and I was not disappointed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hanley&rsquo;s work on The Empress starts with a forward about why she decided to look into this particular character from English History, and it largely comes from a lack of writing on someone who has actually had notable ramifications for the path of the nation. Drawing on Marjorie Chibnall&rsquo; eponymous biography of Matilda and She-Wolves by Helen Castor, as well as more contemporaneous works such as the Gesta Stephani (otherwise known as The Deeds of King Stephen) by Robert of Bath, and William of Malmesbury&rsquo;s Gesta Regnum Anglorum (The History of The Kings of England), as well as relying on Bede&rsquo;s Ecclesiastical History of The English People to provide context to the times before the &lsquo;Norman Yolk&rsquo; had gained a grip on England.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />What is striking to the author and myself is given the clear significance, both at the time and of her legacy, Matilda seems to actually have relatively little purchase in English history. Whether that&rsquo;s sources and works from her time, later works, or even modern historical literature, it feels like The Empress is, if not a completely forgotten figure from English history, certainly an understudied, and dare I say it, overlooked personality in the story of this country. While the lack of works at the time you can arguably chalk this up to contemporary perceptions of woman, attitudes to their place in the world, and a general male centric nature of medieval society.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />It&rsquo;s interesting that as time has gone on while these attitudes have changed there still seems to be a general ignorance to England&rsquo;s almost Queen. It&rsquo;s hard to see the ascension of England&rsquo;s first Queen (Mary I) having had an impact on this, and even through the reigns of both Elizabeth&rsquo;s, Mary II and Anne, right up to Victoria (where we start to see shifting attitudes towards other historical events such as The English Civil Wars), Matilda is still overlooked. But each of those monarchs have the blood of The Empress Matilda running through their veins, as does Charles III. Without the precedent of Matilda being named Heir to The Throne almost 900 years ago there would have been no path to the throne for any of England/Britain&rsquo;s Queens. Hanley deservedly shed light on this obscured figure of English History, and I hope as time goes on Matilda becomes as common to conversations of Anglo-Britannic history as The Wars of The Roses, Henry VIII, Victoria and her own grandfather William the Conqueror. If so, a fair amount of credit has to go to those authors like Hanley who refuse to let Matilda fade away.</p>

England's Queen who never was: A Review of Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior by Catherine Hanley

world-book-day-2023

<p>Hi-Dee-Hi Campers! Jake here and in the written word! Except this time, I am not alone&hellip;&hellip;&nbsp;</p>
<p>If all has gone well you should be reading this on one of my favourite days of the year, <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">National Fried Chicken Day!</span> <strong>World Book Day!</strong> Why is it one of my favourites I hear you (or the voices in my head) ask? Because it&rsquo;s all about books of course! And I would be a pretty bad Library so-and-so if I didn&rsquo;t, y&rsquo;know, like books. So with the help of some of my colleagues from across the Hub Libraries in the borough we have put together a list of staff recommendations to feast your eyes upon. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">In The Distance by Hernan Diaz</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Recommended by Marianna at Lewisham Library</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
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<p>In The Distance is a haunting look at loneliness in frontier-era America from an unlikely outsider. Hakan is sent from his modest rural homestead in Gothenburg, Sweden along with his brother Linus to seek a better life in the burgeoning United States of America. Separated in the tumult of travel, Hakan instead finds himself alone and unable to communicate both linguistically and culturally with those around him. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Lost and possessed by the idea of reuniting with his brother, Hakan encounters capitalists and colonialists, explorers and scientists alike on his search to find belonging. What effectively unfolds is a brutal portrayal of one man's journey to try and find his place in a violent and ruthless landscape during a time when the American Dream was in its infancy. In his attempt to re-join his brother, Hakan is pulled into a relentless stream of vicious and unfair situations which explore humanity and its willingness to stop at nothing for success. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Diaz writes with such clarity and precision that the eternal struggle for belonging is palatable on the page. Spanning the protagonist's entire life and presenting an honest portrayal of the early years of the birth of the New World, the struggles of migration and the subsequent isolation remain eternally relevant. For fans of Cormac McCarthy, Don DeLillo and the ceaseless human experience.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;<br />Hernan Diaz is an Argentinian writer raised in Sweden. In the Distance was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction among others. His second novel Trust was released in 2022 to critical acclaim.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Charlie Changes Into A Chicken by Sam Copeland</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Recommended by Paul at Catford Library</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
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<p>There is a kind of personality and charm to the best children&rsquo;s books. That&rsquo;s what makes really great ones stand out because it is elusive and rare. I spend my life surrounded by children&rsquo;s books, hunting for good ones to read aloud. They are nearly all wholly dull and formulaic &ndash; or pale imitations of Roald Dahl. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, &lsquo;Charlie Changes into a Chicken' is absolutely one of the great ones. I read it recently with my children (they are aged six and nine). We all enjoyed it very much. Charlie is a schoolboy who changes into lots of different animals which sounds kind of exciting at first, but he doesn&rsquo;t enjoy the experience at all. I found it genuinely funny and silly. The story covers serious issues like worries, illness and bullying but it is honestly just really funny &ndash; normally you can spot a book that deals with &lsquo;issues&rsquo; from a mile away but this really doesn&rsquo;t feel like one of those. It was enjoyable to read aloud. And lots of fun.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I particularly remember a bit where it says &lsquo;Charlie looks however you want him to look&rsquo; which struck me as a sweet and somewhat profound concept. My only complaint is that Charlie does not, at any point, turn into a chicken &ndash; but this issue is obviously taken very seriously by the publishers and addressed in the text. And it has a shiny gold cover.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Nervous Conditions Trilogy by Tsitsi Dangarembga</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Recommended by Katherine at Lewisham Library</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Nervous Conditions is the first of three novels about Tambu, a gifted child from a village in 1960s Zimbabwe. Determined to get an education, she grows maize and plans to pay her own school fees. Her brother steals the corn and laughs in her face. She gets to the school anyway. By the second book, she has won a scholarship to an elite boarding school. But by the start of the third, This Mournable Body, the adult Tambu is unemployed and bitter, disowned by her family, hating herself and pretty much everyone else.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>What happened?&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Author Tsitsi Dangarembga published the trilogy across 30 years: from 1988 to 2018. The books show a changing society - Tambu is born under a white minority rule and lives through a War of Independence. Her personal life is dominated by a series of contrasting authority figures: her traditionalist Shona parents, her bullying uncle, racist teachers and dishonest employers. Pleasing all of them - or any of them - can seem impossible. She is cheated, ignored or humiliated, time after time.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Perhaps Tambu&rsquo;s greatest struggle is trying to balance her own fight for survival with the idea of ubuntu - a person&rsquo;s connectedness to others, the philosophy that &ldquo;I am because we are.&rdquo; Tambu is not a rebel: she doesn't want to change the world, she wants to win. She needs to be the best. But this ruthlessness cuts her off from others, and from herself. In This Mournable Body she looks in the mirror and sees herself as a fish or a hippopotamus; the voice in her head is like a hyena. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>At different points in the books, Tambu can seem like a hero, a victim or a monster - she is always a compelling character, whose thoughts and feelings seem fresh and real.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Recommended by Suzie at Downham Library</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, and finally the Wheel of Time appears on the small screen. But if you&rsquo;re like me and can&rsquo;t wait for season 2, why not delve into the 14 books that make up Robert Jordan&rsquo;s masterpiece.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Start out with Rand and his friends in the quiet little village of Emond's Field and end up (spoiler alert) at Shayol Ghul and witness the Last Battle between the forces of good and evil. Yes, I know it sounds like the same old story that&rsquo;s been retold in many a way (probably most famously by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings), but believe me, this is not simply following the cookie cutter approach that other fantasy writers might be taking.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Jordan&rsquo;s word is rich not only in characters, but distinct cultures and places, all inviting the reader to find out more and immerse oneself within them. Find yourself exploring the Waterwood and the Waste, get lost visiting the sites of Caemlyn and Tar Valon, and experience the hospitality of the Borderlands. Learn about the Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon and his fight against the Chosen (or the Forsaken as it were). Battle hordes of Trollocs, Darkfriends and Whitecloaks, and wield the power of, well, the One Power. Or just become a trickster like one of my favourite characters, Mat Cauthon.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If along the way you feel like slapping the fabled Dragon Reborn around his head a bit &hellip; trust me, that&rsquo;s normal. Our dearest potential saviour of all has a lot to learn and big shoes to grow into, and sometimes he&rsquo;s slipping back into stubborn wool head mode. Not that Nynaeve (my other favourite character) is much better. Well, at least not until she&rsquo;s gotten over a certain block &hellip; but then, that&rsquo;d be telling now, wouldn&rsquo;t it?&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I know that the idea of 14 books can be daunting, and yes, there is that thing Wheel of Time fans call the slog, but overall, it is by far the best fantasy series I&rsquo;ve ever read (and also listened to). So come and join me as I follow the wind to a new beginning&hellip;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Recommended by Lindsay at Deptford Library</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Murder Most Unladylike Series by Robin Stevens is one of the best series I have ever read and still do read. The stylish writing, the unexpected plot twists, and most importantly, the entertaining characters, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong, make the book an enjoyable read for a person of any age.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It also stands out from so many in its genre as the detectives are two young private school girls who solve murders in many locations - school, trains, and even abroad in China! What also sets it apart from the rest, is that the book is written through the point of view of Hazel Wong, a meticulous, organised girl who complies all the notes from their investigating into clear lists. This makes the book very easy to follow as you are constantly updated by the character on who they are investigating and why. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>On top of this, the author&rsquo;s style of writing is smooth and flows nicely from book to book in the series and not once does she break away from her characters so the books can be read independently or in order- you choose! If one is looking for a refreshing, relaxing read this series should be next on your list. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Miracle on 5th Avenue By Sarah Morgan</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Recommended by Yasiga at Downham Library</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
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<p>An emotional and sweet story of love, grief, and learning to take chances.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Miracle on 5th Avenue is an irresistible book based on a Christmas miracle for two very different souls to find each other in this perfectly festive fairy tale of New York. This book features an incandescent heroine named Eva. She is a hopeless romantic with a vaguely implausible job. The hero, Lucas is a grumpy, bestselling crime writer who hates Christmas. With the anniversary of his wife&rsquo;s death looming, he has never looked at love again. But being empathetic, Eva&rsquo;s understanding of Lucas surprises him. This story brings a great knowledge to others&rsquo; point of view despite the mild but realistic conflicts. It is very intriguing how two opposites can earn their happily ever after. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The illustration is of people ice skating at night in Central Park, the lights of New York City buildings and many trees twinkling with lights. Romance is not the only theme, grief is a huge part of the story for the two leads, Eva and Lucas, both having lost a close one in their lives. They both deal with it in many different ways.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&lsquo;Be the sunshine, not the rain&rsquo;, is the perfect description of Eva. She is seeing the best in everyone in every situation. With men who are only interested in her body, Eva has acquired the perfect comebacks to put these men in their place. Sarah has made her a more fascinating woman by hinting her empathetic character throughout the story.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I have read Miracle on 5th Avenue and I personally love it! A lovely story of understanding and empathy. I would definitely recommend this book to many others who love the spark between opposites along with a few disagreements and opinions.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Paul Faustino Trilogy by Mal Peet</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Recommended by Jake at Downham Library</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>When you have done as many of these as I have it gets tough after a while to try and figure out what books you haven&rsquo;t written about. In the end I settled on something that combines my love of Fantasy Fiction and the Classics with my love of football (don&rsquo;t ask me who I support, it is currently too depressing to disclose), The Paul Faustino Trilogy.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Written by Carnegie medal winning author Mal Peet the series consists of Keeper, The Penalty and Exposure. You gather very early on these aren&rsquo;t your usual take on the genre of Sports Fiction.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Our series starts with <strong>Keeper</strong>. In a gloomy newspaper office late at night. Football journalist extraordinaire Paul Faustino. Sat opposite is the greatest Goalkeeper on the planet, maybe even of all time, El Gato. In between them on the table sits The World Cup. Over the course of a night Faustino will hear Gato&rsquo;s tale. From his humble beginnings in a logging town in the jungle to the bombshell he will drop on Faustino (via a phantom football pitch) ancient powers and destiny converge in this story.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Book two, <strong>The Penalty</strong>, starts with a young man arriving in South America from Africa, about to embark on a frightful journey. Meanwhile in the same town, separated by decades and decades, Paul Faustino is trying to work out what to do with the information El Gato has left him with. Yet he finds himself being dragged into the mysterious disappearance of teenage football prodigy El Brujito (The Magician). Is it gang related? Has he just vanished into thin air? Or is this connected to something deeper and darker, hidden in a time before now? As past and present converge Faustino finds himself drawn into the middle of something far beyond his understanding.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Finally we round off with <strong>Exposure</strong>. A modern retelling of the Shakespearean classic Othello. Star player and captain of the national team Otello has recently joined a new club, and married to pop star Desemerelda he is a sensation. That said he faces discrimination being the country&rsquo;s most prominent black player, and is regularly greeted with boos despite his exceptional talent. Elsewhere Faustino finds himself drawn into the lives of some street children, while trying to cover Otello&rsquo;s fall from grace&hellip;..&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>We hope you have enjoyed reading our recommendations, and most importantly&hellip;&hellip;..&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY!&nbsp;</h1>

Library Staff

World Book Day 2023

larrygrayson

<p>&lsquo;Larry Grayson back on stage!&rsquo; so proclaims the headline in &lsquo;The Stage&rsquo; on Thursday 8th February 1979.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/RTLQ3Cq/larry.png"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/RTLQ3Cq/larry.png" alt="Scan of an article from The Stage magazine" /></div>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>An entertainer only a few of my generation are aware of, Larry was a household name in the 1970s and 1980s. His arrival at the Lewisham Concert Hall (now the recently reopened Broadway Theatre for its ninetieth birthday) was part of a wider tour he was embarking upon as the seventies ended: Croydon, Tunbridge Wells and Aberdeen were all to welcome the fabulous and amiable host of the hit BBC television show, The Generation Game.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<div style="max-width: 400px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/86ptMfz/Larry-On-set.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/86ptMfz/Larry-On-set.jpg" alt="Larry Grayson on the set of The Generation Game" /></div>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Famous for his catchphrases such as &lsquo;shut that door!&rsquo; and &lsquo;what a gay day!&rsquo;, Larry served high camp and was one of the few visible representations of queerness on mainstream television, post legalisation of homosexuality in 1967. He&rsquo;d also performed in the elsewhere in the borough &ndash; in the nightclub above the former Downham Tavern, on one occasion.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>People would likely have suspected or known his true orientation, which he never publicly confirmed &ndash; <a href="http://www.gaybirminghamremembered.co.uk/topics/Larry%20Grayson#:~:text=Grayson%20was%20celibate%2C%20although%20near,for%20Grayson%20in%20the%20town." target="_blank" rel="noopener">although he <em>sort of</em> did towards the end of his life</a>. Despite the inevitable homophobia he would have encountered, from audience members of TV executives however, one of the disarming things about him was his effortless skill in ingratiating himself with his warmth and humour to strangers. It was this that made him a cherished and loved entertainer.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/vcNwtLv/Larry-Graysons-Generation-Game.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/vcNwtLv/Larry-Graysons-Generation-Game.jpg" alt="Generation Game logo" /></div>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In his 1979 visit to Lewisham, he was joined on stage by his Generation Game partner Isla St Clair with pianist Roger Burns and the Johnny Wiltshire Orchestra.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>His notable flamboyance was both a validation for those who yearned for a visible role model in the media and an irritant to those within the LGBTQ+ community who felt his demeanor was NOT an suitable depiction of a gay man to (at times) an inhospitable society.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Gay role models at this time were very limited. Today we have the likes of Graham Norton and Alan Carr who can unapologetically be themselves, but only forty years ago, Larry, alongside John Inman, who played Mr. Humphries, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqWNG_X0bAQ&amp;t=102s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">senior menswear assistant of fictional department store &lsquo;Grace Brothers&rsquo;</a> in the hit sitcom &lsquo;Are You Being Served?&rsquo;, being the most prominent examples.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/mTpc0vP/mqdefault.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/mTpc0vP/mqdefault.jpg" alt="Photo of people marching at the Campaign for Homosexual Equality" /></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Larry had actually performed in Lewisham five years beforehand and it was a gig at the very same concert hall that members of the Lewisham branch for the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) arrived at to picket his show. The CHE were a membership organisation in the United Kingdom founded in 1969 to promote legal and social equality for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in England and Wales.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/2011/03/larry-grayson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In a recollection to LGBT History Month in 2011, former teacher and Schools OUT founder Paul Patrick recalls picketing the performance</a>. The picketing was not against Larry personally, but because of how he came across through the media: &ldquo;therefore distorting the reality of our lives&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>To his credit, Larry welcomed the group backstage after his show to discuss their concerns. The group needed unequivocal proof that he was in fact a gay man, which Larry confirmed. For what could have been an awkward and uncomfortable exchange of views, one thing unified them all in that dressing room &ndash; they were all gay men, in different strata of public acceptance, trying to be themselves. He asked what more he could do &ndash; he was an entertainer and household favourite: he could not be overtly &lsquo;out&rsquo; without experiencing significant backlash. To a certain extent, he was restricted in altering or affecting the acceptance of homosexuality to a wider audience, lest it encounter significant backlash on his own career. Homophobia was (and is) rife to members of the community.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It was a point of contention for groups such as the CHE that gay men were being stereotyped as effeminate, limp-wristed characters, but they would serve as the springboard for latter representatives. Larry himself never likely saw himself as a figurehead for the community and his own grapples with his sexuality have been documented elsewhere, but undeniably there would have been people in the audience at the Lewisham concert Hall in both 1974 and 1979 who would have seen him as a shining light for representation. It is to his credit he met the valid concerns of the CHE and is part of a queer history in Lewisham I&rsquo;d like to be more widely known and amplified.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>And I implore LGBTQ+ residents of Lewisham who are under forty and have no idea who he was, to find him on Youtube. It&rsquo;s old school, but his genuine playfulness with people on an utterly bizarre gameshow is a joy to watch.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Newspaper credit: The Stage, Thursday 8th February 1979, p.3, courtesy of The British Newspaper Archive&nbsp;</em></p>

Sheldon K. Goodman

Larry Grayson in Lewisham

christopher-and-his-kind

<p>February has dawned, the longest month of the year (not actually) has been and gone. Mornings seem a little lighter. The evenings do not feel as dark as they did before.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Oh, and it&rsquo;s LGBTQ+ History Month! With that in mind I wanted to go with one of those (many, many) books that have been on my reading list for time immemorial, and because there&rsquo;s no time like the present to correct a wrong. So, what is this book that I have been doing such an injustice to? Well dear reader today we&rsquo;re going to be looking at Christopher Isherwood&rsquo; autobiography <a href="https://libraries.lewisham.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:14111" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Christopher and His Kind</strong></a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FE4SAB8WL.jpg"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FE4SAB8WL.jpg" alt="Cover of the book Christopher and his Kind" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />The first time I ever came across this novel was not in fact as a book. Back in those for gone days of 2011, before it seemed like we were perpetually living in a perma-crisis. &nbsp;I was still a long haired, baby-faced student trudging around the campus of The University of Greenwich. Matt Smith had been the new Doctor in <strong>Doctor Who</strong> for just over a year, and I had rapidly fallen in love with his portrayal of The Doctor&rsquo;s 11th incarnation. Not just because of the whimsy, and the vibe of an old man in a young mans body. To my mind Matt Smith was proving himself a sensational actor, having been convinced of his brilliance after the exceptional delivery of a Richard Curtis written monologue.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Now before this becomes a blog about Doctor Who (and I wouldn&rsquo;t object to that but seeing as I meander enough when writing anyway I should probably be keeping my focus where it&rsquo;s supposed to be), you&rsquo;re probably wondering why I even mentioned it given that our subject is supposed to be Mr Isherwood. Well that would be because in 2011 the BBC dropped a trailer for <strong>Christopher and His Kind</strong>, starring Mr Smith as the eponymous Christopher Isherwood. Being a bit of a Smith fanboy (was it obvious?) I decided this was on my viewing list. Not only was I captivated by Smith&rsquo;s performance, but I was drawn into this television movie like a fish being reeled in. I can&rsquo;t even now explain why. It wasn&rsquo;t just the acting, nor the fact that I had spent a significant amount of my historical studies throughout education learning about Inter War Europe with a focus on Germany.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i0.wp.com/blogtorwho.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/christopher.png"><img src="https://i0.wp.com/blogtorwho.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/christopher.png" alt="Still image from the BBC production of Christopher and his Kind" /></div>
</center>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Once it was finished, and I became aware it was a book originally, it was added to my reading list. Yet the first time I read it I struggled to really get into it. No matter how hard I tried I couldn&rsquo;t seem to focus. So on the &lsquo;To Read&rsquo; list Christopher and His Kind went. Seemingly to be forgotten or supplanted by other things that would be added.<br />Fast forward a decade and there I am in a meeting with my publisher of this humble blog. Given that January usually means &lsquo;New Year/New Me&rsquo; and the such I decided that it was time to go rummaging around my room for Christopher and His Kind. If I wasn&rsquo;t going to finish it in 2023, then I was never going to!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Christopher and His Kind was first published in 1976, and being Isherwood&rsquo;s autobiography was markedly different from his previous works. In his latter life Isherwood felt that he had a duty to address and correct the self-censorship of his earlier works, convinced that he must be candid about the nature of his life. It seems he felt that he owed a duty to his &lsquo;Tribe&rsquo; to dispel such misdirection (for want of a better term) and contribute to the cause of the Gay Liberation movement that had developed in the late sixties. Thus his memoirs were born, with a particular focus on his time as an emigre in Weimar Germany from 1929-1939.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<center>
<div style="max-width: 650px;"><img src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2013/04/14/travel/14FOOTSTEPS1/14FOOTSTEPS1-articleLarge-v2.jpg?quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;disable=upscale" alt="Photo of Christopher Isherwood" /></div>
</center>
<p><br />Throughout the book Isherwood displays an incredible candidness about his life, from his first sexual experiences, to fights with his mother, and his escape to Berlin. In a lot of ways there&rsquo;s an overriding sense of liberation throughout this autobiography. As if by lifting his own self-imposed purdah on reality Isherwood has felt long forgotten moments of his existence flooding back to him in all their glory. As such there is certainly a sense of clarity which retroactively feels absent from some of his novels (more on this later). Isherwood also has the ability as a writer to make you feel as if you&rsquo;re sat at a table in The Cosy Corner, sipping German beer and listening to him regale you with exploits of his life like an old friend who you haven&rsquo;t seen in ages who you really need to catch up with. Being able to build such a relationship with the readers gives Isherwood an ability to play on the emotions of the reader through his witty charm. Even though there&rsquo;s the satisfying nature of feeling as if you have been revealed a secret truth, it&rsquo;s important to remember that part of this book focuses on Berlin during the rise of Nazism thus also giving a dark underbelly to the tale of Isherwood&rsquo; life. There is fear as much as love in this book. A darkness to counter the light of Isherwood&rsquo; liberation.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Now, if I was to have one slight gripe it would be this. Throughout his memoirs Isherwood will often intersplice his actual lived experience with passages from his novels. This is largely done to firstly provide context to Isherwood&rsquo;s life events in relation to his novels, setting out where they fit in to his timeline. Secondly though it is used to reveal the truth behind the influences in his novels. Whether it be Lions &amp; Shadows or Goodbye to Berlin, shedding new light on which characters represent whom and what actually transpired. While I do understand why this was done in this way, I can&rsquo;t help but feel that to an extent that it has a slightly detrimental impact to those novels that are being dissected. It&rsquo;s like a magician revealing to you the intricacies of his tricks one after the other. They may still remain technically impressive but they lose of some of the wonder, somewhat damaging their initial charm. &nbsp;</p>
<p><br />However overall I feel that Christopher and His Kind is a candid, frank memoir that paints a vivid picture of Isherwood&rsquo;s liberation as he embraces his sexuality in Bohemian Berlin. His ability to bring life to inter-war Berlin&rsquo;s streets brings a unique element to this memoir, giving a glimpse into an often forgotten period of German history, with the years of The Weimar Republic giving way to darker days. Whether you&rsquo;re a fan of Isherwood&rsquo;s novels or not as an autobiography Christopher and His Kind is undoubtedly worth a read.&nbsp;</p>

Christopher and His Kind

spies

<p data-adtags-visited="true">Hello all! Happy New Year and all that jazz! It&rsquo;s the first blog of 2023 and I am spoiled for choice. I thought I could go for a very generic &lsquo;New Year, New You&rsquo; blog, but I think you know me well enough by now to have guessed that&rsquo;s not my bag (do people still say the word bag anymore?)</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<div>
<figure><img style="height: auto; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-5.png?w=460" sizes="(max-width: 460px) 85vw, 460px" srcset="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-5.png 460w, https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-5.png?w=150 150w, https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-5.png?w=300 300w" alt="Kim Philby" data-large-file="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-5.png?w=460" data-medium-file="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-5.png?w=300" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-title="image-5" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-comments-opened="1" data-orig-size="460,276" data-orig-file="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-5.png" data-permalink="https://lewishamlibraries.wordpress.com/2023/01/23/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-and-a-few-more-spies/image-5-4/" data-attachment-id="4817" /></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">But there&rsquo;s certainly a vibe developing this month. Monday 23rd January will mark 60 years since the disappearance/defection of notorious member of the Cambridge Five&nbsp;<strong>Kim Philby</strong>, ITV have they&rsquo;re new series&nbsp;<strong>A Spy Among Friends</strong>, we have shiny new Spy Collection on our&nbsp;<a href="https://tlc.overdrive.com/collection/1407871">E-Library</a>, and almost fortuitously BBC are showing the Sir Alec Guinness series of&nbsp;<strong>Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy</strong>. Now among the more perceptive among you may be getting a slight sense of&nbsp;<a href="https://lewishamlibraries.wordpress.com/2020/06/25/reading-tinker-taylor/">D&eacute;j&agrave; vu</a>. Consider this a redux of sorts. Not so much a redraft but an update on one of my earliest blogs. Ladies &amp; Gentleman, Boy &amp; Girls lets take an adventure down memory lane. Let&rsquo;s talk about the inspiration for Sir Alec&rsquo; timeless series&nbsp;<strong>Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</strong>.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">To start with this might seem a little repetitive, but let&rsquo;s talk about spies! When you talk about spies, I imagine for most of you the first thing popping into your head is&nbsp;<strong>James Bond</strong>. But when you think about it he&rsquo;s, well I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s a particularly diplomatic way of putting it, not<em>&nbsp;actually</em>&nbsp;a very good spy. I mean seriously, it&rsquo;s like the man hasn&rsquo;t heard of a pseudonym or alias. I might be wrong but I am pretty sure MI6 in real life would probably have given bond his P45 a while ago. He&rsquo;s flashy, unsubtle, and is pretty much guaranteed to leave a trail of destruction wherever he goes. Incognito Bond ain&rsquo;t.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<div>
<figure><img style="height: auto; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-4.png?w=800" sizes="(max-width: 449px) 85vw, 449px" srcset="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-4.png?w=449 449w, https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-4.png?w=150 150w, https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-4.png?w=300 300w, https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-4.png?w=768 768w, https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-4.png 800w" alt="Sean Connery as James Bond" width="449" height="449" loading="lazy" data-large-file="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-4.png?w=800" data-medium-file="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-4.png?w=300" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-title="image-4" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-comments-opened="1" data-orig-size="800,800" data-orig-file="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-4.png" data-permalink="https://lewishamlibraries.wordpress.com/2023/01/23/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-and-a-few-more-spies/image-4-5/" data-attachment-id="4816" /></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<p id="inline-ad-0" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="600"></p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">And maybe that is what&rsquo;s always bugged me about Bond, because when I actually think about spies for a second, I think of long coats and wide brimmed hats. People lurking in the shadows, fighting an eternal conflict away from the prying eyes of the rest of the world. Of codes, trickery and slyness. I mean isn&rsquo;t that kind of what a spy should be?</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">Which actually leads me very nicely back to&nbsp;<strong>Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</strong>. What&rsquo;s very interesting is that its author John Le Carre has more than a few parallels with Bond&rsquo;s creator, Mr Ian Fleming. Both worked in intelligence, Fleming for The Royal Navy during the Second World War and Le Carre spent time working for MI5 &amp; MI6. Both ultimately would take their experiences in the intelligence sphere to craft two iconic spies. Both would have their works adapted for the screen to much fanfare. Both would ultimately become renowned authors of the spy genre, although that wasn&rsquo;t their only creative output.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<div>
<figure><img style="height: auto; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-3.png?w=620" sizes="(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px" srcset="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-3.png 620w, https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-3.png?w=150 150w, https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-3.png?w=300 300w" alt="John Le Carre" data-large-file="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-3.png?w=620" data-medium-file="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-3.png?w=300" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-title="image-3" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-comments-opened="1" data-orig-size="620,372" data-orig-file="https://lewishamlibraries.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/image-3.png" data-permalink="https://lewishamlibraries.wordpress.com/2023/01/23/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-and-a-few-more-spies/image-3-5/" data-attachment-id="4812" /></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">Anyhoo, enough of my waffling. So onto&nbsp;<strong>Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</strong>. I am going to spare you the details of how I came across the book, but let us just say Gary Oldman played a part. Our story itself is on the surface possibly quite a generic concept for the genre. It&rsquo;s the 70&rsquo;s. The Cold War is rumbling on. A double agent is active within The Circus (aka MI6, named as such in the book for its Cambridge Circus HQ). Someone is leaking vital information to The USSR. The Circus&rsquo; head, Control, has suspected this for a while, but is forced out along with some loyalists after a seemingly bungled operation in Czechoslovakia.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">Amongst these loyalists is George Smiley, Control&rsquo;s prot&eacute;g&eacute;. Much like the other loyalists of Control smiley is forced out, and he finds himself in an unwanted retirement. An exile from the service he helped cultivate. That is until Smiley finds himself unexpectedly approached by his own prot&eacute;g&eacute;, one Peter Guillam.&nbsp; Guillam guides Smiley to a meeting with Oliver Lacon, the Civil Servant responsible for overseeing The Circus. Lacon is concerned that Control may have been onto something after one of Guillam&rsquo; agents gets in contact regarding Gerald. A mole operating at the highest level of The Circus. Lacon reasons given Guillam being out of favour with the new guard left in charge, and Smiley no longer part of the service these are his perfect investigators.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">What follows is a series of twists and turns, perfectly masterminded by Le Carre, leaving you guessing up until the revelation of the moles identity. What is most striking though is that despite a comparative lack of action to the Bond series, you never lose interest throughout. What Le Carre serves up is pure, unadulterated spy craft. The book rings of authenticity when dissecting this murky world of spies at the height of the Cold War. If Bond presents spies as the blunt weapon of statecraft, Smiley represents the accuracy of what being a spy is. It&rsquo;s sticking to the shadows. It&rsquo;s fighting an unseen war across the mundanity of everyday life. It&rsquo;s dead drops and more than a little detective work. In short, spycraft is subtlety. It&rsquo;s about finding what you need to without being noticed.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">The unassuming Smiley, more reminiscent of an Oxford Don than a spy, is almost the perfect avatar for spycraft in actuality. It isn&rsquo;t particularly glamorous, and this is highlighted repeatedly. The overriding impression of Le Carre&rsquo; writing is of an unswerving commitment to the realism of the trade he practiced, and the reward for the reader is undoubtedly one of the greatest spy novels of all time.</p>

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spies (Plural)

lukecage

<p data-adtags-visited="true">Ola peeps. Sweet Christmas. It&rsquo;s good to be back! Unsubtle hints, gotta love &lsquo;em, right? A few years ago for Black History Month I gave you a royal profile of everyone&rsquo;s favourite King, T&rsquo;Challa AKA The Black Panther. So far this year I have given you revolution. So the question is where next? To outer space mayhaps? Or maybe to the distant past? Or a shining future? All are tempting but, and I admit it might be the Londoner in me making me bias here, what about the bright lights and the big city. Going down to the streets. Because that&rsquo;s where we find my favourite Avenger. A man with unbreakable skin to match his steely resolve and determination. The Power Man, Carl Lucas. But you might know him by a different name. Luke Cage.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">While Cage has been something of a cult character throughout his history, this cult status has been key to driving him from the man in a yellow open chested shirt and metal tiara to one of Marvel&rsquo;s most enduring modern icons. From fringe comic character to having his own series as part of Marvel&rsquo;s collaboration with Netflix. For me though there is something incredibly endearing about Cage, his character and his story. This is a man who will ultimately lead multiple Avengers teams, so here&rsquo;s why Luke Cage is my FAVOURITE Avenger.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<div style="max-width: 400px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.ibb.co/SdxCHJk/luke-cage-power-man-costume-classic-70s-194000.jpg"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/SdxCHJk/luke-cage-power-man-costume-classic-70s-194000.jpg" alt="Luke Cage in his 1970s attire" /></div>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">Before we start I can hear some of you going &lsquo;Uh but Jake, Luke Cage isn&rsquo;t an Avenger. He&rsquo;s a Defender. So there.&rsquo; And to those people I say, read a comic! More specifically New Avengers Vol. 1, issue 1-5 AKA Breakout. And then&nbsp;<span style="text-decoration: line-through;">beg for your existence for daring to question me</span>&nbsp;<span style="text-decoration: line-through;">humbly apologise for questioning my knowledge</span>&nbsp;let me know what you think.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">Anyway, back to your scheduled programming. I have a therapist to deal with my&nbsp;<span style="text-decoration: line-through;">psychotic breaks</span>&nbsp;issues. Cage starts life as the aforementioned Carl Lucas, growing up in the mean streets of Harlem New York. In his early days Lucas runs with various gangs, engaging in petty crime and making a reputation for himself. Upon a realisation of the damage his life path is inflicting on his family Lucas decides to go legit, although still holds close friendships with many in the criminal underworld. This still existent connection, however, ultimately leads to Lucas being imprisoned after one of his more questionable associates plants drugs in his flat.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">After numerous attempts to break out of prison to escape being locked up for a crime he didn&rsquo;t commit he is transferred to Seagate prison in Georgia, where Doctor Noah Burstein offers Lucas a chance to take part in an experiment that Burstein is overseeing, and distantly related to the experiments that lead to the creation of The Super Soldier Serum that gives Steve Rogers his enhanced physique and abilities. But Seagate&rsquo;s racist ex-warden (who blames Lucas for his demotion) interferes, ramping up the controls in an attempt to overwhelm Lucas&rsquo; physiology. Instead, what happens is Lucas develops super strength and durability. Breaking out from his squalid confines into the cool air outside Carl Lucas dies that night, and Luke Cage is born.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">Cage&rsquo;s early career sees him working as a Hero for Hire, and largely taking on common criminals, and crossing paths with some of his former more *ahem* questionable acquaintances. Cage stands out from his super powered colleagues, and largely keeps his distance from them until a desicion to chase up Doctor Doom for a missed payment leads to an encounter with The Fantastic Four. Slowly but surely Cage is pulled into the world of capes, being recruited by the Defenders, and forging one of his most enduring friendships, his iconic partnership with Danny Rand, aka The Immortal Iron Fist. Also, at this time he starts to form a relationship of sorts with the heroine Jewel, more properly known as Jessica Jones, Cage&rsquo;s future wife.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">Cage would step up to the big time at the invitation of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark personally, having helped them, Spider-Man, Spiderwoman, Sentry and Daredevil in his civilian guise put down a prison break at The Raft and join The New Avengers. Really this is the point where you can argue Cage goes from cult character to Marvel Heavyweight. Under the writing of Brian Michael Bendis Cage morphs from the man of pithy one liners and iconic catchphrases to one of the leading members of the Superhero community. This is really underlined in the post-Civil War marvel universe as Cage in essence replaces Captain America as the leader of The New Avengers, a now underground, unregistered superhero team resisting Iron Man&rsquo;s new registration status quo. Even then it seems like he has been more of a reluctant leader, someone who doubts their own credentials, and ultimately hands leadership over to Clint Barton in the aftermath of Secret Invasion. But it is clear that even if Cage is unsure of his own outstanding personal qualities others definitely are more than aware of them.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">This is underlined beautifully in the new Heroic Age that sees Steve Rogers being appointed &ldquo;America&rsquo;s Top Cop&rdquo; and giving Cage command of his own Avengers team, free of Rogers&rsquo; oversight. Not only that but he is given leadership of The Thunderbolts, a team of villains trying to be heroes. Cage will rise so high that in the end he becomes Mayor of New York.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">So why is Cage me favourite Avenger? Besides the pithy one-liners, Cage maybe embodies what it means to be an Avenger better than most. A man who was framed for a crime he didn&rsquo;t commit and ultimately used as guinea pig in an attempt to replicate the success of the Super Soldier program, has risen above adversity. Despite seemingly exuding confidence its clear Cage is wracked by self-doubt, and questions his own abilities. But the man with unbreakable skin has an unbreakable resolve, and a bullet proof soul. Cage rises against adversity again and again to prove he is one of the most inspiring characters Marvel have created. If I can sum up Cage, it would be this. During The Collective arc Cage takes the New Avengers to do impact Superhero work, and gives a TV interview, exuding charisma and resolve. We cut away to Iron Man and Captain America in conversation.</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&ldquo;He&rsquo;s very good at this.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&ldquo;Yes, and he doesn&rsquo;t even realise it.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">And coming from two of the most iconic Avengers, what else is there to say?</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true">&nbsp;</p>
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<p data-adtags-visited="true">To read any of the books featured in our blog please search the following:</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true"><a href="https://tlc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/client/en_GB/lewisham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Library catalogue</a>&nbsp;(to order books to your branch)</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true"><a href="https://libbyapp.com/library/tlc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Libby</a>&nbsp;for ebooks, audiobooks and comics (available as an app)</p>
<p data-adtags-visited="true"><a href="https://lewisham.borrowbox.com/?fbclid=IwAR1EDhvIUwmKTlRKIuh58YoHEhtYMu-UwkY0LNwaNAooBUco6G1MCDTdhnU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Borrowbox</a>&nbsp;for ebooks and audiobooks (available as an app)</p>

My favourite Avenger: Luke Cage

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Lewisham Libraries Blog