Category Archives: Shelf Esteem
Shelf Esteem – A touch too much?
Shelf Esteem – Confidence or a belief in oneself gained through self-help literature. The title of my blog does not stem from a great love of self-help books – on the contrary, I have long considered such literature as a waste of time and money. Despite this, I must admit […]
The Rise and Rise of the Scanda-noir
We Brits have long scoffed at the ways of our European neighbours. While we are happy to put one of our own on show at the Eurovision Song Contest each year we also delight in mocking the attempts of the other entries. This aloof attitude when it comes to what […]
Celebrating China’s Artists
Last week’s blog focussed on my travels in China last summer and the emerging art scene that is bringing out the best of the country’s painters, photographers, sculptors and fashionistas. I must admit to feeling somewhat inspired myself when looking into this subject on my return home. After a week […]
China: The New Frontier for Expression
Bringing up the topic of China in conversation normally conjures images of terra cotta soldiers, the Great Wall and dim sum to name but a few things. But this weird and wonderful country is closer than you may think. A quick look around your immediate surroundings will no doubt result […]
The Cult of the Next Big Thing
Both cinema and literature, as of late , appear to be dominated by the next big thing. With the ending of one cinematic trilogy or literary saga comes the next big thing to encapsulate willing audiences and readers all over again. In the same way that a shop or brand […]
The Listening Stone
This week I thought I’d deviate from my usual film-related rants and raves and write about a very special project called The Listening Stone. A good children’s book captivates and teaches its young readers something new. An even better one has an ongoing commitment to its readers and hopes to […]
Holding out for Horror
Woefully represented at all the award ceremonies, cast off by many as the pastime of bored students and teenage boys and general recipient of constant sniggering – is the lowly genre of horror. There’s a reason that the only kind of acknowledgment horror films are going to get come award […]
Shelf Esteem
As an aspiring writer I’ve often thought about what makes a piece of writing speak to its readers. Does said writer have to be naturally talented in the art of the wordsmith or does experience have more to say for itself when putting pen to paper? While I think the […]
Anticipation
I am very much looking forward to the release of Prometheus this year. As a fan of movie monsters and especially the Alien films (not so much Alien 3) it promises to be the big budget summer blockbuster of 2012. It’s not hard to see why – with an all […]
Day of the Dog
Film trends come and go, but every year you can bet there will always be at least one dog-centric summer blockbuster. I’m not talking the CGI movie dogs like recent bomb Marmaduke, I’m talking the type that along with children, actors reputedly should never work with. Reassuringly, these films more […]
