Tag: reading
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Book signings: The awkward art of meeting your literary heroes
Novelist David Clensy reflects on what it is like to stand in the queue as a reader at a book signing Never meet your idols – it’s the classic piece of advice that gets regularly churned out. But when it comes to literary events, as readers, we find ourselves coming face to face with some…
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Military Thriller Book Group Q&A
Thanks to the Military Thriller Book Group for featuring me in their author Q&A this week! If you don’t already follow the group, check them out on Facebook. Over the past week they have been running a series of Q&As with authors who feature “non-traditional protagonists”. Given how rarely the Merchant Navy takes centre-stage in…
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Gateways to knowledge – a defence of the humble public library
Ahead of the start of the UK’s National Year of Reading 2026, David Clensy shares his passion for the nation’s under-resourced public libraries The library was a haven for me at school. While other children spent their lunchtimes kicking a ball around the playground or clustering in gossiping gangs – menacing each other, or being…
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Novel approaches: Famous books that started with different names
What’s in a name? I’ve been thinking a lot about novel titles recently. When it comes to writing a novel, choosing the perfect title can almost be as challenging as crafting the story itself. Many iconic books we know and love today started with very different working titles. Here are some interesting examples: “War and…
