What's on my bedside table: Philip Hensher
Series 3: Episode 5 - we inspected Philip Hensher's bedroom for the books gathering dust on his bedside table
Novelist, critic and journalist Philip Hensher was born in 1965 in London. He spent most of his childhood in Sheffield, graduated from both Oxford and Cambridge and was awarded a PhD for 18th century painting and satire. He now divides his time between writing columns and book reviews for The Guardian and The Independent, teaching creative writing at University of Exeter and writing novels. His most recent novel, the semi-autobiographical The Northern Clemency, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. We went to find what Philip keeps by his bedside table:
Robert Tewdwr Moss: Cleopatra’s Wedding Present: Travels Through Syria
"Cleopatra's Wedding Present "is the rare book that captivates its reader from the first page. Like the best travel books, Robert Tewdwr Moss's memoir of his travels through Syria resonates on many levels: as a profoundly telling vivisection of Middle Eastern society, a chilling history of ethnic crimes, a picaresque adventure story, a purely entertaining travelogue, and a poignant romance. Tewdwr Moss, a brilliant young writer who was murdered in London the day after he finished this book, left this lyrical gem as his legacy. He adeptly captures an essence of the Middle East that is foreign to most of us, but which becomes real with his astute observations of the region's culture and explosive politics. He conveys what so many westerners find both fascinating and frightening in the Middle East, making no attempt to mask circumstances that are appalling and dangerous while also exotic, beautiful, and sometimes very funny. Mesopotamia, now present-day Syria, was part of Mark Anthony's love gift to Cleopatra. Then and now, it is a land of mystery and love. The Wisconsin edition is only for sale in the United States and it's dependencies.
Ivy Compton-Burnett: A Heritage and Its History
Simon Challoner is destined to inherit the ancient house at his uncle's death. But Sir Edwin's constitution and marriage propel the impatient Simon to commit a inadvisable act. This rashness leaves him further away than ever from the only thing he really wanted.
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