What makes art? A listener posed this question to our tour guide as we stood looking at two art gallery walls covered with self-portraits of a bag lady, taken in various public photo booths. And this was the question I pondered as I , with my two teenage children, looked round an exhibition of wondersContinue reading “Passion, Obsession and Curiosity at the Alternative Guide to the Universe, Hayward Gallery, London”
Category Archives: SC Skillman Author
Flowers for John Clare, Poet of Rural England: ‘The Peasant Poet’
This weekend my daughter and I visited family members in Northborough and attended the John Clare Festival in Helpston, Northamptonshire. We thoroughly enjoyed sharing in the community celebrations of John Clare (1793-1864), their local poet. JOHN CLARE was born in Helpston in 1793 and deeply loved the natural world. During his life he wrote bothContinue reading “Flowers for John Clare, Poet of Rural England: ‘The Peasant Poet’”
Book Trailer Fun for Mystical Circles
I’ve been out and about in Warwick and the Cotswold hills with my film-maker daughter Abigail, having great fun as Abigail puts together a book trailer for my romantic suspense novel Mystical Circles. As I’ve watched our actors follow Abigail’s directions and play my characters, my story has come alive in a new way. I’veContinue reading “Book Trailer Fun for Mystical Circles”
In Search of Authenticity: Our True Selves and Our Essential Need for Community
How can we be true to ourselves? And how can we live in ways that are true to what we believe? And how can we mix up our inner and outer worlds, so we are not compartmentalised like a waffle, but rather, more like a bowl of spaghetti? These were just three of the questionsContinue reading “In Search of Authenticity: Our True Selves and Our Essential Need for Community”
Gazing Out to Sea: The Beauty of the English Coastline
I recently visited Beachy Head, East Sussex, with a friend and my two teenage children. As we walked along the cliftop, we all agreed: Where in the world could we go that’s more beautiful than this? Beachy Head, together with the Seven Sisters Country Park and Birling Gap are all protected by The National Trust and theyContinue reading “Gazing Out to Sea: The Beauty of the English Coastline”
A Golden Field, a Short Life That Touched Many Hearts, and a Poignant Moment in a Country Churchyard
This photo was taken on Milverton Hill, Leamington Spa between St James’s Church Old Milverton and the Saxon Mill, Warwick. At about 4.30pm on Friday 7 June I walked with my two teenage children through the churchyard to reach this field. A late summer afternoon in the English countryside is such a quiet, luminous, poignant time. And it’s one of theContinue reading “A Golden Field, a Short Life That Touched Many Hearts, and a Poignant Moment in a Country Churchyard”
People of Inspiration Part 7: The Horrible Histories Cast
The Horrible Histories phenomenon will soon celebrate its 20th anniversary. Scholastic will commemorate 20 years since Terry Deary published the first Horrible Histories books, Awesome Egyptians and Terrible Tudors. Horrible Histories has continued through the British children’s television series, first screened on CBBC in 2009, and now in its 5th series. In our house we have followedContinue reading “People of Inspiration Part 7: The Horrible Histories Cast”
I’m on Instagram!
I have just joined Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scskillman I’ll be posting pictures relating to my books and anything else that takes my fancy. I’ll also be posting individual character pictures, and pictures relating to the themes of Mystical Circles. Many of the pictures and photos will be created by my talented media student daughter Abigail Robinson. IfContinue reading “I’m on Instagram!”
Controlling Women in History and Life: Bess of Hardwick and Tudor England
Controlling women are a recurring theme in my life. Add to this a love of history. And so when I found the book Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth by Mary S. Lovell, I felt impelled to read it. It is said that only when a lesson is learned, does an issue stop recurringContinue reading “Controlling Women in History and Life: Bess of Hardwick and Tudor England”
The Enduring Appeal of ‘A Kid With Spots’ in Fiction, TV, Movies & YouTube
There’s a character we love, in all forms of media. Is he the exciting hero? Is he clever, bold, handsome, courageous? No. He’s a bit downbeat and low-key. A bit dumb. He drifts around in the background looking vacant. And he’s the one we find most endearing. He’s Rory Williams in Doctor Who Series 5-7.Continue reading “The Enduring Appeal of ‘A Kid With Spots’ in Fiction, TV, Movies & YouTube”
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