3 New Old Books

This trio of books arrived this morning - all very nicely priced, thank you very much:

Working on my 1st Glastonbury Calender

Got to label the pictures and add some Glastonbury focused dates to the calender now...

My Allotment Writing Shed

With my thoughts finally turning to the writing of my 10th novel, it is good to see my allotment writing shed slowly taking shape. We have a cooker and a kettle working in there already, and a comfy fold-up chair. Just need to take down my fold up lap table and I will have no excuse not to crack on with the project. I will share a pic of the amazing view from the window next time I am down there. It really is so peaceful on the allotment - an oasis of calm in a very troubled world.

Down the Plot

Spent the day down the allotment, helping sort out the plot, catching up on some reading and working on See Gower.

Graveyard Rendezvous Additions

It has been a while, but I have finally added x4 new editions to my Guy N Smith Graveyard Rendezvous fanzine collection:

I also got sent a free Peepshow fanzine, with a signed Guy N Smith short story.

September is Project Time

September starts and so my projects resume: Today, I designed my 2027 calendar. If you want the finished product let me know via my social media:

Book Repair

Mending an ancient, copy of a book I grew up with when I first got into David Bowie back in the day. Tape, glue stick, pva and scissor all at hand...

Enid Blyton's The Three Golliwogs

Nestled amongst my bookshelf of treasured childhood Enid Blyton books, sits a controversial early edition of The Three Golliwogs, which was originally published in 1944. My edition is from 1968, and is the last to use the original text.

The Three Golliwogs follows the trio of identical characters, in a series of short stories after they move into a picturesque cottage.

Each tale makes comedy from the other villagers failure to differentiate their new neighbours from one another and the mishaps that result from this inability. 

The controversy surrounding the book centers on the imagery of the Golliwog, which was originally invisaged by Florence Kate Upton in the 19th century as a minstrel-style doll) and the explicit language used in the early text. The most glaring element of the early version is the name of the third golliwog, which used a deeply offensive racial slur. 

By the late 1970s, public libraries and publishers recognised the harm of the dated racial stereotyping in the book. Thereafter,  reprints changed the characters' names from Golly, Wollie and Ni**er to the less offensive Wiggie, Waggie, and Wollie. In 1988, the book's title was changed to the The Three Gollies:

In time, the text was completely overhauled and the book is currently titled The Three Pixies, which finally stripped the story entirely of its racial overtures. The book is now titled after on of its stories:

Numerous artists have illustrated The Three Golliwogs books, and its various reincarnations over the years. My favourites illustrator though, perhaps obviously, are the ones that featured in the books I read as a child, is Rene Choke. I present just a few of them below:

Today, the original editions of The Three Golliwogs are strictly viewed as being  highly problematic and no longer acceptable reading material for children.

David Bowie - The Man who Fell to Earth Books

My favourite novel has to be Walter Tevis' excellent novel, The Man who Fell to Earth. It's about an alien who comes to earth to arrange the shipment of water to his home planet, which is dying due to its lack of 💧.  Unfortunately, the toll of human pleasure, suffering, and the escapism of alcohol, take their toll . The book is beautifully written, and is the only book I have ever read that made me weepy. The film of the book, starring David Bowie is also a fantastic watch and stars the amazing David Bowie. Whilst I went for the cool artwork cover of the book's original printing, it was a no-brainer that I would have to add all the  ultra-cool David Bowie covers editions to my library:

The Man Who Fell to Earth graphic novel is also in my collection: