Can you advise modern British novelists to read? I live in Russia and the available English books here are mostly those written by John Grisham, Dean Kuntz, Michael Crichton etc. Though interesting, their English is not British.
Modern English Prose
Thank you, Uriel. Yes you are right, I pronounced what I had written - it is really a bit... funny, let's put it in this way.
By the way, did you take your nick from his Hideaway?
By the way, did you take your nick from his Hideaway?
No, never read that one. I took it from Clive Barker's Weaveworld.
Hey! There's a British author for you!
Hey! There's a British author for you!
Try Tom Stoppard, Evelyn Waugh, William Golding, Anthony Burgess, Grahame Greene and Iris Murdoch.
Thank Uriel, thank you Llorena.
Are Evelyn Waugh, William Golding, Grahame Green and Iris Murdoch considered modern, not mid-Twentieth Century?
Are Evelyn Waugh, William Golding, Grahame Green and Iris Murdoch considered modern, not mid-Twentieth Century?
Mid-Twentieth Century is modern, really. Much easier to read than The Canterbury Tales, at least, and like that Middle English classic they're all very, very good works of literature.
Oh, and Stefan Kuntz was a German football player, who scored against England in the semi-finals of Euro '96... in 1998 the unofficial World Cup song ("Three Lions on a Shirt") showed a game being played between an English and a German team, and every German player had a blonde mullet and Kuntz on their back.
Oh, and Stefan Kuntz was a German football player, who scored against England in the semi-finals of Euro '96... in 1998 the unofficial World Cup song ("Three Lions on a Shirt") showed a game being played between an English and a German team, and every German player had a blonde mullet and Kuntz on their back.
Thank you Zxczxc, Well, there is a man whose name is Stefan Kuntz and he wrote Geschichten im Ohrenessel, Stories, nix als Stories and others, but it is not British and not English at all. I am not so good at German to read original books, sorry.
Vladimir:
More or less mid 20th century, but as advised, consoidered modern.
For right up to the minute list of contemporary British writers (not only prose) try the British Library links as follow (you can't have more up to date then these):
http://www.bl.uk/collections/britirish/modbrilit.html
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/news/newauthorsonsitejuly2006/
I particularly recommend these mega contemporary Brit writers:
Alan Spence - some great writing.....OK he's a Scot, from Glasgow, and a professor of Creating Writing at Aberdeen university but a really great and absorbing read.
James Meek -
born in London but grew up in Dundee, Scotland. He was a journalist and for a while actually lived in Russia and Ukraine 1991-99, but now lives in London. Some of his novels are set in Siberia during the Russian Revolution. He won the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year Awar for 2006.
Ewan Morrison -
prolific up and coming Scottish award winning writer and TV/film writer/director. Currently working on his third novel.
Ian Rankin -
here I am unashamedly biased - Edinburgh based crime writer and creator of the unconventional Edinburgh detective with the Lothian and Borders Police force and I read every single word he writes. Probably wouldn't appeal to you.
Anyway, log into the list of the latest up to the minute contemporary up and coming British writers (some are poets I admit) - can't be more current than that, as I said before. Sorry if I highlighted the Scottish ones!....the list includes writers from all over the UK - and Ireland.
More or less mid 20th century, but as advised, consoidered modern.
For right up to the minute list of contemporary British writers (not only prose) try the British Library links as follow (you can't have more up to date then these):
http://www.bl.uk/collections/britirish/modbrilit.html
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/news/newauthorsonsitejuly2006/
I particularly recommend these mega contemporary Brit writers:
Alan Spence - some great writing.....OK he's a Scot, from Glasgow, and a professor of Creating Writing at Aberdeen university but a really great and absorbing read.
James Meek -
born in London but grew up in Dundee, Scotland. He was a journalist and for a while actually lived in Russia and Ukraine 1991-99, but now lives in London. Some of his novels are set in Siberia during the Russian Revolution. He won the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year Awar for 2006.
Ewan Morrison -
prolific up and coming Scottish award winning writer and TV/film writer/director. Currently working on his third novel.
Ian Rankin -
here I am unashamedly biased - Edinburgh based crime writer and creator of the unconventional Edinburgh detective with the Lothian and Borders Police force and I read every single word he writes. Probably wouldn't appeal to you.
Anyway, log into the list of the latest up to the minute contemporary up and coming British writers (some are poets I admit) - can't be more current than that, as I said before. Sorry if I highlighted the Scottish ones!....the list includes writers from all over the UK - and Ireland.
Why don't you take an interest in Famous British Films, and Famous British Actors?
It is possible to get old films on DVD, and they often come with a foreign language option.
I tried to interest the Polish children next door with "Zulu" starring Michael Caine. I think that is quite an important film. They did not seem to appreciate it, at all.
Michael Caine also did a Film called "Get Carter", which is a classic gangster film set in the North of England. There a book of the film, or visa versa.
You can follow the career of an actor like Michael Caine. He also did a film called the "The Ipcress File" which has spies as its theme. I believe that started off life as a book.
It is possible to get old films on DVD, and they often come with a foreign language option.
I tried to interest the Polish children next door with "Zulu" starring Michael Caine. I think that is quite an important film. They did not seem to appreciate it, at all.
Michael Caine also did a Film called "Get Carter", which is a classic gangster film set in the North of England. There a book of the film, or visa versa.
You can follow the career of an actor like Michael Caine. He also did a film called the "The Ipcress File" which has spies as its theme. I believe that started off life as a book.
>>Dean KOONTZ. "Kuntz" would be too funny....<<
"Koontz" sounds like "Kuntz" just got respelled to look less German (but at the same time the "tz" was preserved as is for some reason). Reminds me of many a last name where "mann" has been needlessly changed to "man" why still remaining obviously German...
"Koontz" sounds like "Kuntz" just got respelled to look less German (but at the same time the "tz" was preserved as is for some reason). Reminds me of many a last name where "mann" has been needlessly changed to "man" why still remaining obviously German...
*"Koontz" looks like "Kuntz"
*while still remaining obviously German...
*while still remaining obviously German...
Damian in London E16:
Thank you very much for the names and the links. I read many British writers of the mid 20 century, now I would like to read some more modern ones. Scottish writers are no problem, the point is that here in Russia we have a lot of books by American writers but British are scarce. Though a foreigner, even I can see that British English and American English are not the same, and I would like to read something in the language which is currently used in th UK, though I realize that the English spoken in London may differ from that spoken in Edinborough.
Thank you very much for the names and the links. I read many British writers of the mid 20 century, now I would like to read some more modern ones. Scottish writers are no problem, the point is that here in Russia we have a lot of books by American writers but British are scarce. Though a foreigner, even I can see that British English and American English are not the same, and I would like to read something in the language which is currently used in th UK, though I realize that the English spoken in London may differ from that spoken in Edinborough.
Robin:
You see, it takes me more time and efforts to see and understand English films. Usually I read when going to work/home by public transport, it takes me about an hour and a half every working day. Besides, when reading I can break it off and resume any time I want. If I do the same with a film, it will not be an entertainment.
And to my shame, I can not recall any latest English films at all. Either Russian ones, if it is an excuse.
You see, it takes me more time and efforts to see and understand English films. Usually I read when going to work/home by public transport, it takes me about an hour and a half every working day. Besides, when reading I can break it off and resume any time I want. If I do the same with a film, it will not be an entertainment.
And to my shame, I can not recall any latest English films at all. Either Russian ones, if it is an excuse.