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research images: Amsterdam & Egmond
Thanks to a grant from Arts Council England, I was able to visit The Netherlands twice to undertake research for my debut novel, The Words in My Hand. The novel moves between Amsterdam, Deventer,...
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who was Helena Jans?
We know Helena worked as a maid in Amsterdam for English bookseller, Thomas Sergeant. We know of her relationship with Descartes, because he leaves a note to this effect. We know that Helena and...
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fünf tage, fünf fragen – 5
5. Egmond aan den Hoef: Das Ende oder der Anfang? you will need to read the novel to understand the significance of Egmond aan den Hoef! This is one of the chapel windows, from 1634, showing women...
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Article 0
I’m delighted to reveal the cover for the UK edition of The Words in My Hand, which will be published by the most marvellous Two Roads on 14th January, 2016. The artwork for the cover was created by...
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Article 1
Delighted to announce that The Words in My Hand is The Times ‘Book of the Month’, January 2016. Available from all good booksellers:
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The Words in My Hand – UK launch
Lisa Highton, publisher Two Roads Books, opening the launch. (photo: Richard Youell) Dr Erik-Jan Bos, academic advisor on the book. (photo: Saskia Glasfurd-Brown) (photo: Kaddy Benyon) (photo: Siobhan...
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Fear of great men: fictionalising Descartes
There were times, when I was writing my novel, when I was struck by an incapacitating fear. It was this: who was I, dear reader, to put words in Descartes’ mouth? More than once, this fear of speaking...
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Take a tour through Amsterdam . . .
My novel tells the story of the hidden affair between Dutch maid, Helena Jans, and French philosopher, René Descartes, and follows Helena’s journey across the Dutch Republic in the seventeenth century....
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Brexit & Descartes
Most days, I start by reading the news, but faced recently with a Brexit headline about ‘not negotiating the unnegotiable’ I admitted defeat. I could bear it no longer. I closed the tab, too...
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