Mary Webb’s strange and haunting novel Precious Bane, which was first published in 1924, is an evocative account of rural life, its traditions and superstitions. Continue reading “Food, folklore and superstition”
Food and betrayal
Call it serendipity, but shortly after reading Barbara Pym’s Jane and Prudence, and writing my last blog post, I read another novel featuring a steamed pudding: Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers. Continue reading “Food and betrayal”
Men, women and food
Barbara Pym’s delightfully comic novel Jane and Prudence, which was published in 1953, focuses on the unlikely friendship between the two titular characters. Continue reading “Men, women and food”
Food and translation
With globalisation and world-wide travel, most of us are now accustomed to eating food from a variety of countries and cultures. And with that comes a knowledge of the names of these foods, many of which have become part of our English parlance, requiring no explanation as to what they are – croissants, lasagne, couscous, chapatis etc Continue reading “Food and translation”