Latest news with #QuentinBlake
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Graham Norton: ‘The Bell Jar changed how I felt about books'
My earliest reading memoryI started reading because I was wildly jealous of my sister Paula, who is four years older than me. I must have been six or seven when I managed to read The Mountain of Adventure by Enid Blyton. I know she is no longer in fashion but I still remember the thrill of the world she created and the excitement of the plot. My favourite book growing upI adored the Flambards series by KM Peyton, probably because it felt slightly adult and a little bit sexy, but my absolute favourites were Grimble and Grimble at Christmas by Clement Freud. They were anarchic and knowing, in a way I hadn't encountered before but more than anything else they were very funny. It also introduced me to the inspired illustrations of Quentin Blake. The book that changed me as a teenagerWhen I was around 15 or 16 we had a supply teacher and he brought with him plastic bags of novels and just threw them out to us sitting at our desks. I randomly caught The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath which really did change how I felt about books. It was funny, sophisticated and raw in a way I didn't know novels could be. But more than that, as people say now, I felt seen. Esther Greenwood contained so many emotions and qualities that I recognised. I'm also happy to say that the supply teacher Niall is a good friend to this day! The writer who changed my mindWhen I was about 19 I remember reading the very start of Daniel Martin by John Fowles. He describes a German plane crashing into the British country side and it was so perfectly written that I resolved to never write books. What was the point? They would never be as good as these few pages. I took me more than 30 years to get over that feeling. The book that made me want to be a writerPrior to my John Fowles experience I had wanted to write and was scribbling down short stories, but I have no recollection of a moment or novelist that lit the spark. I think it was more the joy I found in telling tales and setting the scene. Everything I was reading just taught me that there was a way to do that and a world I could be a part of. The book or author I came back toI think I was exposed to Charles Dickens too early and found him very dark and dense. It was only many years later, when I had to read Oliver Twist for work, that I realised how incredibly engaging and entertaining his books are. There is a passage towards the end of A Tale of Two Cities where Carton roams the streets of Paris contemplating his death, which is as beautiful and profound as anything I've ever read. The book I reread I very rarely reread anything but if I do it is probably during the summer in Ireland and it would tend to be a classic, like Jane Austen's Mansfield Park or Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. There is such pleasure in finding out how much you've changed as different characters and plot points speak to you differently. Interesting how much we all bring a point of view to every novel we read. The book I could never read againI can't imagine I will ever go back to the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. I loved them as a preteen but I fear I might find them a little less charming now. The book I discovered later in lifeThe novels of Elizabeth Taylor were a fairly recent discovery for me. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont is a stunning book. Wry, funny and heartbreaking, but never cruel. Maybe you have to be a little older to really enjoy it? I was also recommended the works of the late Octavia Butler recently. I rarely read sci-fi, but Kindred is the most visceral novel about the horrors of slavery that I've read. The book I am currently readingI've just finished Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. A sprawling saga about a damaged family which I really enjoyed. My comfort readAgatha Christie, what else? Grisly murders and neat solutions. A balm for any troubled soul. Frankie by Graham Norton is published in paperback by Coronet. To support the Guardian, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Drawings from author Roald Dahl to be sold at auction
Pictures drawn for a book about the life of children's author Roald Dahl are going on auction after being found in an envelope. The famous author drew the images himself using a black ballpoint pen for Boy, which was published in book is the only which Dahl produced illustrations for during his long career. The sketches, which are expected to be sold on Wednesday, are part of a collection estimated to sell for between £20,000 and £30,000. In his book, Dahl describes some of the things he got up to as a child, including playing a prank with his friends on the local sweetshop owner Mrs Pratchett by putting a dead mouse in a gobstopper drew a mouse lying on top of the sweets with its legs in the air to illustrate the naughty act. The drawings were found in an envelope belonging to Ian Craig, who ended up creating the final illustrations for the author's memoir. He stepped in as Dahl's usual illustrator, Quentin Blake, was away on holiday at the time. "The publication of Boy was on a very tight publication schedule," said Ian Craig's widow Kate. "As Quentin Blake was away on holiday, Ian asked Dahl if he could help with the illustrations."Dahl ended up producing a variety of sketches which Ian used as inspiration for his own drawings."
The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Drawings by Roald Dahl for memoir Boy to be sold at auction
Original drawings children's author Roald Dahl produced for his memoir are to be sold at auction after being found in an envelope which belonged to a colleague. The sketches were produced by Dahl in black ballpoint pen for Boy, which was published in 1984. Dahl died in 1990 aged 74 and Boy is the only book which he produced illustrations for during his career of almost five decades. The sketches will be sold in Edinburgh as part of Lyon & Turnbull's books and manuscripts sale on Wednesday. They are part of a collection estimated to sell for between £20,000 and £30,000. In his memoir, Dahl recalled various childhood exploits, including playing a prank with his friends on the local sweetshop owner, Mrs Pratchett, by putting a dead mouse in a gobstopper jar. Dahl drew a mouse lying on top of the sweets with its legs in the air to illustrate the escapade. He had being approached to help by publishing house Jonathan Cape as his usual illustrator, Quentin Blake, was on holiday. The drawings were found in an envelope marked 'Dahl's drawings & odds and sods' which belonged to Ian Craig, the art director at Jonathan Cape. Mr Craig, who died in 2023, created the final illustrations for the book, inspired by Dahl's drawings, and received a blue cashmere cardigan as a gift from the author. The sketches being auctioned are part of the production archive for Boy from Mr Craig's estate. Mr Craig oversaw the production of Boy and the archive includes his designs, as well as the original page layouts and correspondence. He also came up with the title, and received a letter from Dahl saying: 'I must thank you for coming up with the first sensible title for my book. 'Boy' is fine. We all like it…' Mr Craig, who grew up in Ipswich, was a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art and joined Jonathan Cape in 1973, five years before Dahl began a partnership with illustrator Blake. His widow Kate Craig, who also worked at Jonathan Cape, said: 'The publication of Boy was on a very tight publication schedule. 'As Quentin Blake was away on holiday, Ian asked Dahl if he could help with the illustrations. 'Dahl ended up producing a variety of sketches which Ian used as inspiration for his own drawings. 'Ian never got paid for the illustrations, but Dahl did give him one of his trademark blue cashmere cardigans as a thank-you, which he treasured.' Dominic Somerville-Brown, Lyon & Turnbull's rare books and manuscripts specialist, said: 'It's absolutely thrilling to see Roald Dahl's one-of-a-kind, hand-drawn sketches up close. 'They are a unique addition to his canon and allow us to observe the transformation of his childhood memories into the printed form, a medium in which they would be cherished by generations of readers. 'Ian Craig undoubtedly played a key role in Dahl's publishing success, overseeing not only the production of Boy, but many more of his famous children's stories. 'This archive gives an insight into the creative processes behind a book still enjoyed by children across the world today.'
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Roald Dahl-inspired Wallace and Gromit sculpture part of charity trail
A Wallace and Gromit sculpture inspired by Roald Dahl and Sir Quentin Blake's Big Friendly Giant (BFG) will form part of a charity trail across Bristol this summer. Big Friendly Wallace, featuring large ears, sits on a bench with a giant teacup of fizzy Frobscottle – the green drink consumed by giants in Dahl's 1982 novel The BFG. The artwork is one of 53 forming the Gromit Unleashed trail, which will be hitting the streets of Bristol from June 30, in aid of the city's children's hospital charity The Grand Appeal. Five sculptures were unveiled overlooking the Clifton Suspension Bridge on Wednesday, including Netflix's re-imagining of Wednesday Addams as Aardman's Feathers McGraw. Feathers is painted in purple and black shades, with the phrase 'Wednesday's child is full of woe' printed on its centre. There is also Walk the Lime, a citrus inspired Gromit that pays homage to the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic – complete with a lime perched on the dog's nose. The Norbot gnome from Wallace and Gromit's Vengeance Most Fowl 2024 film will also make an appearance on the trail. Nicola Masters, director of The Grand Appeal, said: 'We are thrilled to be bringing the magic and wonder of cinema, film, stories and legends to our third Gromit Unleashed trail this summer, turning the streets of Bristol and beyond into a living storybook. 'Each Aardman sculpture is a character, each corner a scene, and together they form a spectacular adventure – all to raise funds for The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children's Hospital Charity. 'By following the trail, families, friends, residents of Bristol and visitors from the UK and all over the world won't just be part of a city-wide celebration of creativity – everyone will be helping to create a brighter, and better future for young patients in the children's hospital. 'This year, Gromit unleashes the magic of cinema grounded in a very real cause.'
Time Out
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Gold rats, inflatable balls and community photography: inside the Royal Academy's 2025 Summer Exhibition
If looking at more than 1,700 pieces of art isn't enough for you, there are some great games you can play with yourself while walking around the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. Spot the famous artist. Guess the price of a painting. Or, my personal favourite: channel interior designer and pick works to 'imaginary decorate' your overpriced rented basement flat in Clapton. The RA Summer Exhibition has been held every year since 1769, and in 2025, it's been coordinated by renowned British-Iranian architect Farshid Moussavi. You'll see architectural drawings, models and nods to our built environment dotted throughout the exhibitoin, not bound by one room. There will be no bright yellow or turquoise walls this year – it's all cleanly white – and the whole thing feels calmer, less cluttered, with more space for works to breathe (and less craning of your neck to see the stuff up top). It is, as usual, open to all. There's plenty of the big dawgs here: you'll see scribbled heads by Quentin Blake, a (Juergen Teller) photograph of Marina Abramović looking all witchy, a warm, washed-over Frank Bowling canvas, a collaged photographic face by Cindy Sherman and much more. But there also is, undoubtedly, a lot of shit art. Horrid, boring geometric neon stencils. Cats. Flat, unfinished-looking canvases. Sculpture which looks like it belongs in Primark's home section. But getting hung up on the crap is not really the point: it's about the spectacle, the discovery, the loose themes you can trace between seemingly randomly placed works. And there is some genuinely great stuff, too – stuff that will stop you in your tracks, from well-known artists, unknown artists, and from artists in between. Here are five of our favourites. 1. Ryan Gander's inflatable balls Before you even enter Burlington House, you'll come face to face with big, black, blow-up balls, which have been set up in the courtyard to look like they've been halted, mid-roll. They're squishy and shiny, and each is adorned with a child-like, hard-to-answer question: 'When do you know you're right?' 'How much is a lot?' 'Do all doors open?' and so on. One is wedged on the roof, another is inside the exhibition, blocking one of the main room's three arches, giving you only two routes to take around this year. These are not only really fun to look at, but they also question your routine and the way you look at art, prompting you to be inquisitive and open-minded before you even enter the building. 2. 101 white rat pelts, Zatorski + Zatorski These are objectively naff, but I appreciate deep, inescapable discomfort these 101 hollowed-out rats bring. Their insides and eyes are brushed with 24ct gold, and they're all arranged, standing up in an outwards-facing circle, as though watching you, or about to attack. It instantly made me think about animal testing, and about the extremes people will go to, for riches. You can't help but feel sorry for the things. 3. Community Dialogue, John Waine There's something about this modest photograph of a Frome community notice board, all posters overlapped and peeling, offering Spanish lessons, flea markets, festivals, short-term lets and fundraisers, which filled me with nostalgia, despite the dates only the flyers only reading 2023. Not sure about the frame though. 4. Rock Pool, Terry Setch This mixed media piece looks like the debris of fishing baskets washed up on the beach, or the rusting rainbow colours of corroded metal rubbing on clothing. The texture is brilliant. Crucially, it makes me want to ask: can I touch it? 5. 'You remained always beautiful', Tracey Emin This is one of two of Emin works in the show: she also has the more prominently placed pastel-painted 'The Crucifixion', but it's this moody, melancholy portrait, tucked away in one of the top corners in the entrance room, which stuck with me. The eyes look downwards and the shoulders are hunched, almost blending into the background; the facial features imperfect, only just distinguishable. The whole thing is uncomfortable to look at and as a result, it carries a real a sense of dread. Moving, memorable portraiture. The 2025 RA Sumer Exhibition is on from June 17 until August 17, 2025. Find out more here.
