This month’s Rare Book Display on the Mezzanine level of the University of Portsmouth’s Library has been curated by Emily who we are lucky to have as one of our Student Assistants. Emily has chosen a fascinating and eclectic range of books.  All are beautiful in their own way.  It was fantastic to have Emily’s choices that reflect her diverse interests. Its an eclectic collection – from beautiful portraits of society figures dressed in their finest, divinely bound books and the poetic writings of Oscar Wilde; to the caricatures of Punch and Judy and finally the macabre Hans Holbein.

It’s World Book Day. Across the UK, primary school children headed off to school this morning dressed as characters from their favourite books. Some wore lovingly crafted hand-made costumes, the product of hours of activity on the part of inventive …

My favourite book? Read more »

I’ve just finished (again) The Once and Future King by T.H. White – a real favourite. A retelling of the Arthurian legends, heavily (and unashamedly) based on Mallory, a classical tragedy told with feeling but never mawkish. The style is …

One from my top ten books Read more »

The ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively Favourite book as a child: I must have read this book over and over as an older child / young teen – I was desperate for my own poltergeist and it is …

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