Opening  the door

‘I have been a subscriber to Writing Magazine for about twenty years and found it exceptionally helpful when I was just starting out as a writer,’ writes subscriber Nicola Lisle.

‘My first ever published article started life as an assignment for the Writers’ News Article Writing and Freelance Journalism course, and it was published in Writers’ News in January 2000. I can still remember opening the letter from Richard Bell telling me that he wanted to publish my article – I couldn’t quite believe it! I appeared again in Writers’ News in October 2003 when Alex Gazzola interviewed me for his Making a Living slot, and I have since written a few articles for Writing Magazine.

‘I have always found the Writers’ News section particularly valuable, and it was through this that I discovered Dolls’

House and Miniature Scene magazine. I wrote my first article for this magazine in 2004 and became a regular contributor. This inspired me to use the material I had accumulated over the years as the basis for a book on dolls’ houses.

‘It was also Writers’ News that led me to Pen & Sword. My first Pen & Sword book, Tracing Your Oxfordshire Ancestors, was published in November 2018, and I was delighted when I was commissioned to write Life in Miniature as a follow-up.

‘Life in Miniature traces the history of dolls’ houses, from the early German baby houses and Dutch cabinet houses to the development of dolls’ houses in England from the 18th century onwards, and looking at how they reflect the architecture, fashions and social attitudes of the past. There are also sections on dolls’ houses in literature, collecting dolls’ houses, notable dolls’ house collectors, model villages and towns, a directory of places to visit and suggestions for further reading.

‘The book was an absolute joy to write, largely because it involved visiting lots of museums and stately homes with dolls’ houses and other miniatures on display. It took just over a year to research and write the book, and since its publication in September it has attracted some lovely reviews.’

Website: https://writ.rs/lifeinminiature

Limited  edition

‘Despite the current pandemic I was thrilled to receive copies of my poetry collection Poems from the Cottage, which was published in New Zealand this year,’ writes subscriber Sue Gerrard.

‘The collection is a limited edition of 36 and published by Pear Tree Press, Auckland, which was established in 1988 by Tara McLeod. They produce a varied range of limited edition hand printed letterpress books and prints that are held in major libraries and collections throughout the world.