Today I’m delighted to welcome mystery writer RV Biggs. His ‘Porridge & Cream’ read is Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
“I first read the book as a child, which is a very long time ago, so would be in the 1960s. I’d hazard a guess at 1966 when I was nine or ten years old and probably as a book we were given to read at school. I recall having my own hardbound copy a little later, given to me as a present, but one of my uncles borrowed it to read to my cousin. After a while I never saw it again. Many, many years later my sister-in-law brought me a new hardbound copy as a birthday present and this is the copy I still have. 
“I’ve read Wind in the Willows many times over the years and mostly when nothing else seems to appeal. It draws me in because of the childhood magic of it… animals having adventures… the Wild Wood… but also because of the setting and style. Kenneth Grahame describes the landscapes with exquisite perfection, setting the scenes of the seasons so that I’m there… inside his world. I believe that the description of Mole’s utter grief in chapter 5, Dulce Domum, when he rediscovers his home, and the ethereal magic within chapter 7, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, when Mole and Ratty go in search of the baby Otter, may well be partly responsible for my own need to build description into my own writing when setting a scene.
“All in all Wind if the Willows is a magic childhood world into which I think I’ll lose myself once more very soon.”
Rob’s Elevator Pitch for Wind if the Willows: Along the margins of the river, and deep within the trackless woods, a hidden world of magic unfolds.
RV Biggs’ Bio
RV Biggs lives in the West Midlands, England. His heart however lies north of the border, where the world becomes wide and wild and less turbulent. Robert’s imagination was shaped in childhood by such stories as The Wind in the Willows and Lord of the Rings, but only turned to creativity decades later when in the quiet moments before sleep, song lyrics triggered an idea which turned into an obsession. The result was his first novel Song of the Robin, a tale of destiny and family. A sequel is scheduled to be released during 2018. Working within the telecommunications industry for thirty five years, Robert now works for a children’s hospital helping to provide Mental Health services.
RV Biggs’ links
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RV Biggs’ latest book
Song of the Robin is a tale of destiny and love, tragedy and joy. The story of a young woman’s weeklong struggle for survival amidst whispered voices, unsettling dreams and disturbing visions.
‘Song of the Robin’ by RV Biggs [UK: RV Biggs]
What is a ‘Porridge & Cream’ book? It’s the book you turn to when you need a familiar read, when you are tired, ill, or out-of-sorts, where you know the story and love it. Where reading it is like slipping on your oldest, scruffiest slippers after walking for miles. Where does the name ‘Porridge & Cream’ come from? Cat Deerborn is a character in Susan Hill’s ‘Simon Serrailler’ detective series. Cat is a hard-worked GP, a widow with two children and she struggles from day-to-day. One night, after a particularly difficult day, she needs something familiar to read. From her bookshelf she selects ‘Love in A Cold Climate’ by Nancy Mitford. Do you have a favourite read which you return to again and again? If so, please send me a message here.
‘Wind in the Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame [UK: Oxford Children’s Classics]
Discover the ‘Porridge & Cream’ books of these authors:-
Laura Wilkinson
JG Harlond
Shelley Weiner
And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Why does mystery writer @RVBiggs lose himself in WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Grahame? #books https://wp.me/p5gEM4-3j8 via @SandraDanby
Listen to my British musical version of the story, featuring Dirk Bogarde, Tommy Cooper, Beryl Reid and Frankie Howerd, at 
Lewis Carroll’s Alice has been enchanting children for 150 years. Curious Alice, the bossy White Rabbit, the formidable Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter are among the best-loved, most iconic literary creations of all time. Macmillan was the original publisher of Alice in 1865, this hardback edition is illustrated with the original line drawings by John Tenniel, plates coloured by John Macfarlane, a ribbon marker and a foreword by award-winning children’s author Hilary McKay.
The first UK edition was published in November 1972 by Rex Collings. At the time, Collings famously wrote to an associate, “I’ve just taken on a novel about rabbits, one of them with extra-sensory perception. Do you think I’m mad?”
In 1978 there was an animated film, well-known for two things: Hazel, voiced by John Hurt, and Art Garfunkel’s hit single Bright Eyes. Watch the trailer here.
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