That’s heroic in anyone’s book
This was a week which featured a viola, Spiderman and a friendship beyond description – there was a whole load of other stuff going on, but these three stood out for literary heroism.
The viola belonged to Rebecca Clarke, born into Victorian England, she would go on to great international acclaim as a composer and one of the first female professional orchestral musicians. And then her work pretty much drifted off into obscurity until the 1970’s when it resurfaced and is now celebrated once more. Rebecca is one of the four subjects in the new book from author Leah Broad, ‘Quartet’, a celebration of female musicians who have changed the world. It was this passage from Quartet which caught my eye: ‘Rebecca was not one to shy away from a challenge. As she watched the stations she knew so well rumble past the train window, she mulled over her options. Apart from £12 in her Post Office savings account, all she had in the world she carried with her – a viola and one battered suitcase full of clothes. By the time she stepped off the train at the bustling Baker Street Station, Rebecca had a plan…’ It is clear that Rebecca not only had a plan, but also some grit and determination – extraordinary and brave attributes for a woman at that time. Her story, along with the three other protagonists featured in Leah’s writing, is sure to make ‘Quartet’ a book we are going to hear a lot about in the coming months – Leah is popping into Coles on Monday to sign some first editions of her debut book – you can order a Signed Edition HERE or through the link below.
Spiderman was a little less obvious and on the face of it a little less literary, but it turns out he’s a bit of a ‘Book Super Hero’. This last week featured World Book Day, a celebration of books for some of the youngest readers – it’s a time when book shops like ours take great joy in giving away hundreds of books to school kids in the town. It’s also an opportunity for those kids (and some teachers!) to dress up as their favourite literary character – you’ll see little Harry Potters, tiny Fantastic Mr Foxes and a whole host of other diminutive but larger than life literary characters pootling about the town – but this year it was all about tiny, little Spider-men. They’re everywhere. The equally compact book which has provoked such a dominance of red lycra is one of this year’s World Book Day free books ‘Spider-Man – The Amazing Pocket Guide’ – the web-slinging wonder is doing his bit for literacy and getting kids engaged with books – and that’s heroic in anyone’s book.
Sportsmen and Sportswomen often form strong bonds with fellow teammates – it’s what the collective sporting purpose is all about. There are two former Rugby League players who have created one of the strongest bonds, and it has been formed not only by common sporting purpose but also by adversity. When Rob Burrow was struck down by motor neuron disease, the world of Rugby League gasped, and his good friend Kevin Sinfield stepped forward with a helping hand. Kevin’s memoir ‘The Extra Mile’ is coming in May this year – regardless of a love of rugby or otherwise, it will be a tale of which few others will afford such inspiration.
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who bought a book through our newsletter last week and helped donate a handsome sum to the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal – you’re our heroes.
The full newsletter with links to books can be found HERE
