'The book came about because I loved “Alice” and wanted to know about her creator,’ says Jenny. ‘But when I read the existing biographies, I was both bored and horrified at the person they showed, and as a sceptical journalist with experience of writing magazine profiles, I felt Lewis Carroll couldn’t possibly have been like that. The real man seemed to have been cleverly concealed with the Victorian equivalent of “spin”.'

At this stage, Jenny wasn’t thinking of writing a biography, simply of creating a picture of Carroll in her own mind. She began looking for unpublished documents that might illuminate him more and eventually had a stroke of luck when she found his personal bank account mouldering quietly in an archive. It hadn’t been seen for more than 10 years so with help from her husband Tony, she transcribed, annotated and self-published it, at which point the BBC invited her to do a radio programme about it. By now Jenny was thinking in terms of a multi-media project on a man she was finding both fascinating and likeable, although he could be tricky and secretive too. ‘But publishers are conservative creatures and I ended up writing a biography after all, though I prefer to think of it more as a portrait,’ she says. ‘Rather than start at the beginning and finish at the end, the book takes ten themes in Lewis Carroll’s life and examines them in detail. I hope it will offer a glimpse of the kind of human, emotional, eccentric and utterly unique person that he was.’

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Germany-based Kerry Christiani – Kerry Walker in the 2009 Yearbook – has found time this year to write two new pocket city guides as well as getting married.Berlin Day by Day and Marrakech Day by Day both include advice on how to make the most of a short break in the city, including tips on where to stay, eat, drink and shop. Readers can explore the city with special-interest tours and neighbourhood walks.

Cover price is £7.99 for Berlin and £8.99 for Marrakech, and review copies are available from Julia Lampam at parent company John Wiley & Sons – call 01243 770668 or e-mail  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Purchase Day by Day Berlin from Amazon> Purchase Day by Day Marrakech from Amazon.

This is part of a series called Best of Britain from Crimson Publishing that covers different cities, regions and destinations around the country (£12.99).

‘I have lived in Edinburgh all my life and I also know and love with a passion the surrounding beautiful rural landscapes and seashores of East Lothian, Scottish Borders, East Neuk of Fife, and Perthshire,’ says Vivien.

‘The commission from Crimson came as a bit of a surprise last June with a deadline to complete the book by the end of November. My partner Ken Scott volunteered to be my chauffeur in his speedy, red Mini Cooper S, as well as the photographer; history, geology, wildlife fact finder, and – finally- the indexer.’

Vivien and Ken toured Edinburgh by day and night, as well as taking boat trips to bird sanctuary islands, enjoying tranquil woodland walks, and searching out galleries and gardens, castles and country house hotels, golf resorts and gastropubs.

Written like a personal journey, this richly illustrated guide book is aimed at couples and families of all ages with ideas on where to go and what to see and do throughout the year. Readers can find out where to experience arts festivals and historic houses, hiking, biking and white water rafting, children’s activities and – equally important – where to go to avoid kids.
 

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Co-written with husband Bob, and retailing at £9.99 this is also available on Amazon.

Designated a national trail in 2007, the Cotswold Way runs for 102 miles from Chipping Campden to Bath.

‘It’s not a particular strenuous walk though it has – quite literally – highs and lows,’ says Tricia. ‘But a large part of the attraction is the route’s historical context, from quintessential Cotswold villages to links with the Arts and Crafts movement and the Georgian city of Bath itself.

‘The guide fits easily into a pocket and incorporates everything from large-scale maps to all the practicalities such as places to stay and eat. I co-authored it with my husband Bob, drawing on our knowledge of the area from his schooldays near Bath and my family roots around Cheltenham. Fortunately the division of labour was strictly between maps (him) and writing (me), so harmony prevailed!’

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