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The origin of Mark Twain’s name

Before “Mark Twain” he was “Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass”. And before “Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass” he was “Sieur Louis de Conte”, “John Snook” and even “Josh”. Samuel Clemens, America’s classic satirist, used...

Bestsellers that nearly weren’t 

Flavorwire identifies famous books originally rejected by publishers. Here are four:  Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov   Lolita is one of the best-selling novels of all time, with over 50 million copies...

Writers' houses – in pictures

If you’re interested in where great writers lived, take a look at Nick Channer's new book Where Great Books Began, which features more than 50 literary residences. A few appeared in the...

Four myths about Ibsen

Here is an extract taken from our latest eBook release: The Connell Short to Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House written by academic Kirsten E Shepherd-Barr.  

A friendlier view of Robert Frost

Last year, in the controversial short story "Lovely Dark Sleep" by Joyce Carol Oates, the poet Robert Frost made an appearance as a conceited, egotistical figure. This image of the...

W.H. Auden's Secret Life

W.H. Auden was brusque, insular and severe.                                              ...