Alex Johnson – författare

At a time when it feels like every year buildings get larger and more impersonal, sheds remain a beacon of ergonomic simplicity. Maybe it's the nostalgia of the ancient huts from which humanity evolved, or the sense of focused calm produced by shutting yourself away in one, but around the world and across generations we have found comfort in our sheds. They are wooden repositories for our inner lives: cheap, multifunctional spaces ready to be filled with the passions, tools and ideas of the individual.In these pages you'll find rotating sheds, sheds on wheels and holy sheds, as Alex Johnson uncovers the universal lure of these tiny structures. Also detailed are some of the big ideas these little huts have birthed, from inventions and philosophies to literature, art and increasingly eccentric answers to the question: what exactly can a shed be? The Philosophy of Sheds also includes a gazetteer of famous and unique sheds of the world and is illustrated with archival imagery from the British Library collections.

During the long years of the Second World War, tea remained the cornerstone of British hospitality, drunk and enjoyed by civilians and members of the armed forces alike.But on July 9, 1940, Britons learnt that their beloved national drink was to go ‘on the ration’. Even worse – tea was the one rationed foodstuff that could not be grown or reared at home.This charming little book celebrates the power of tea as a national symbol and act of defiance during Britain’s darkest hour. It's the perfect companion to complement a cuppa and pay tribute to an unsung war hero. A fascinating look at life during the Second World WarBeautifully illustrated with rich visual material from Imperial War MuseumsFilled with wartime ephemera, historic photographs and war-era artworkPlus, vintage baking recipes to try out and enjoy with your favourite brewThe ideal gift for the tea-lover in your life…aside from more tea, that is!

There is a growing interest in creating gardens for wildlife, but this is often accompanied by a tendency to equate naturalness with messiness. The idea that wildlife gardens need to be untidy and unkempt persists. Understanding the needs of plants and how they interact establishes some parameters for design, stimulates ideas and reminds us of appropriate association of plants and materials. Far from limiting creativity, it reinforces a sense of place. Written by two experienced garden designers, this book uses the language of design to frame garden habitats, uniting design principles with an ecological perspective to create beautiful wildlife havens.

Supported by the National TrustQuirky and fascinating facts about Britain’s favourite subject – the weather.Includes all sorts of weird and wonderful weather words from around the country.Supercharge your small talk, never be stuck for something to say.Have you ever saved up for a rainy day, had your head in the clouds or generally felt under the weather? The British obsession with weather and the words we use to describe it have come to define us. We talk about it endlessly ­– five whole months of our lives to be precise. We use it to start conversations with complete strangers. It affects our moods, shopping habits and even how we vote. This book is packed with information you’ll want to share about this most important subject – quirky history, surprising facts, folklore, strange words and even stranger people.

Art Day by Day presents snapshots of the most exciting, unusual and noteworthy art events from around the world and throughout history through direct testimonies, eyewitness accounts and contemporary chroniclers. Each day has its own section, starting with an extended quote giving artists, critics and commentators their voice to speak directly to us, followed by a brief explanatory text, and ending with other important events in art on that day e.g. births, deaths and exhibition openings. Not every entry is momentous, but all are significant. Yes, there are thefts, murders, artistic mishaps and eureka moments, but there are also more relatable episodes such as President Theodore Roosevelt’s doodles, Michelangelo writing to his nephew about his kidney stones and Monet getting the green light for his water garden. Every day has a story to tell.

Rooms of Their Own travels around the world examining the unique spaces, habits and rituals in which famous writers created their most notable works. The perennial question asked of all authors is, 'How do you write?'. What do they require of their room or desk? Do they have favourite pens, paper or typewriters? And have they found the perfect daily routine to channel their creativity? Crossing centuries, continents and genres, Alex Johnson has pooled 50 of the best writers and transports you to the heart of their writing rooms – from attics and studies to billiard rooms and bathtubs.Discover the ins and outs of how each great writer penned their famous texts, and the routines and habits they perfected. Meet authors who rely on silence and seclusion and those who need people, music and whisky. Meet novelists who travel half-way across the world to a luxury writing retreat, and others who just need an empty shed at the bottom of the garden. Some are particular about pencils, inks, paper and typewriters, and some will scribble on anything – including the furniture. But whether they write in the library or in cars, under trees, private islands, hotel rooms or towers – each of these stories confirms that there is no 'best way' to write.From James Baldwin, writing in the small hours of the morning in his Paris apartment, to DH Lawrence writing at the foot of a towering Ponderosa pine tree, to the Brontë sisters managing in a crowded co-working space, this book takes us into the lives of some of history's greatest ever writers, with each writing space illustrated in evocative watercolour by James Oses.In looking at the working lives of our favourite authors, bibliophiles will be transported to other worlds, aspiring writers will find inspiration and literature fans will gain deeper insight into their most-loved authors.

Studios of Their Own travels around the world examining the unique spaces, habits and rituals of over 50 famous artists.From Picasso, to Hockney, to Caravaggio, discover the eclectic creative spaces used by artistic visionaries, brought to life with evocative illustrations.Crossing centuries, continents and genres, Alex Johnson explores these artists’ workspaces and habits. How do they practise their craft? What do they look for in a studio? Do they work in silence or with music… in a shared space or in solitude? How do they harness the light? And how do their physical spaces affect and inspire their output?This striking collection focuses on more than 50 international artists, including:Claude Monet, who created an inspirational garden in which to work en plein air and paint his famous water liliesFrida Kahlo, forced to work from her bed, inspired by the lucky talismans she surrounded herself withJean-Michel Basquiat, working in an old stable, could turn anything into canvas, walking and lying on his works as he created themLee Krasner’s art dramatically changed when she moved from her small studio into the larger, light-filled one that she took over when her husband, Jackson Pollock, diedIn looking at the working lives of our favourite artists, readers will be transported to other worlds, as well as gaining a deeper insight into the creative process.Also in the series: Rooms of Their Own: Where Great Writers Write.

This is a book of book lists. Not of the '1,001 Books You MUST Read Before You Die' variety but lists that tell stories. Lists that make you smile, make you wonder, and see titles together in entirely new ways. From Bin Laden's bookshelf to the books most frequently left in hotels, from prisoners' favourite books to MPs' most borrowed books, these lists are proof that a person's bookcase tells you everything you need to know about them, and sometimes more besides.

Behind every great writer there is a beloved pet, providing inspiration in life and in death, and companionship in what is often a lonely working existence. They also offer practical services, such as personal protection, although they may sometimes eat first drafts, or bite visitors. This book salutes all of the cats and dogs, ravens and budgerigars, monkeys and guinea pigs, wombats, turtles, and two laughing jackasses, who enriched the lives of their masters and mistresses, sat on their keyboards, slept in their beds, and occasionally provided the creative spark for their stories and poems. Gathered here are the tales of Beatrix Potter's rabbit, Benjamin Bouncer; Lord Byron's bear; the six cats of T S Eliot; Camus' cat, Cigarette; Arthur C Clarke's dog, Sputnik; and George Orwell's goat, Muriel. Enid Blyton's fox terrier, Bobs, `wrote' her columns in Teacher's World magazine, while John Steinbeck's poodle accompanied him on his 1960 US road trip, their exploits published as Travels with Charley. Agatha Christie dedicated her 1937 novel Dumb Witness to her favourite dog, Peter - the ultimate tribute.

Books; reading, collecting and the physical housing of them has brought the book-lover joy - and stress - for centuries. Fascinated writers have tried to capture the particular relationships we form with our library, and the desperate troubles we will undergo to preserve it.With Alex Johnson as your guide, immerse yourself in this eclectic anthology and hear from an iconic Prime Minister musing over the best way to store your books and an illustrious US President explaining the best works to read outdoors. Enjoy serious speculations on the psychological implications of reading from a 19th century philosopher, and less serious ones concerning the predicament of dispensing with unwanted volumes or the danger of letting children (the `enemies of books') near your collection. The many facets of book-mania are pondered and celebrated with both sincerity and irreverence in this lively selection of essays, poems, lectures and commentaries ranging from the 16th to the 20th century.

How do you create an active reader? Why is reading good for creativity? Why is it vital for teaching the next generation resilience and positive mental health? In the digital age of never-ending screen time you could argue that the power of books has diminished. But while screens have changed the act of reading, Alex Johnson believes reading is even more important, and that people value books more than ever. This is visible in the sales of printed special editions, the revival in reading aloud, the increased interest in poetry anthologies and the rescuing of 'lost words' from obscurity. But the problem is: with so many competing distractions, which are the best books for children to read and how can we access them? How do we get children to start reading? And how can we encourage them to be curious? How can we encourage their reading and maintain their interest? In this book of practical advice, Alex Johnson brings his tremendous enthusiasm and informed passion to answer these questions, and many more, to ensure a new generation of bookworms are whisked away to new worlds and essential discoveries.

Enjoy daily distraction with this engaging Almanac. Each date is assigned one or more literary connections. Book lovers will find extracts from authors’ diaries and letters, chance upon the narrative twists and transformative moments in their favourite novels, discover the winners of prestigious awards and losers of creative squabbles, and the delivery of manuscript, first publication and performance. The book draws on the incredible collections of the British Library to find new, surprising and entertaining ways to celebrate every day of the year. Each month opens with a list of significant births and closes with a selection of pertinent last words, while entries roam across history from the great classics to modern authors.

The Book Lover's Joke Book is the funniest book about books you'll ever read. You'll find jokes about writers, agents, publishers, librarians, grammar, poetry, bookcases, and lightbulbs. There are rib-ticklers for typographers, crackers for critics, and badly foxed quips about antiquarian bookshops. Here too are the best literary April Fool's (the joke's on you), rejection letters (the joke's on the publisher), cookbook jests (the joke's a bit crumby) and wardrobe puns (the joke's Narnia business). This delightful literary celebration will make every bibliophile laugh out loud, even in the library.I love telling people spoilers about The Picture of Dorian Gray.Never gets old.Why does Wally always wear a stripey shirt?Because he doesn't want to be spotted.What's the difference between Romeo and Juliet and COVID-19?One's a coronavirus and the other's a Verona crisis.Who was JRR Tolkien's favourite singer?Elvish Presley"Your diary is really good," said his wife."My thoughts exactly," replied Samuel Pepys.

The literary lifeisn't just about curling up with a good book and a cuppa, it's also a worldwhere Lord Byron calls John Keats' work "p**s-a-bed poetry", spanielseat the first drafts of masterpieces and gung-ho Ben Jonson shows he's more than happy to prove the swordis mightier than the pen. The Book of LiteraryScandalsshows that behind the jaunty covers and feelgood memoirs is a dingier worldof personal insults, physical blows, and publishing errors. It's one wherebooks suffer bad endings and libraries impose bizarre sanctions. It's a storyof writers behaving badly since Sophocles clashed quills with Euripedes,defacing books, abandoning spouses, and regretting choosing Dylan Thomas tobe the Best Man at their wedding. Elsewhere it looksat hot take reviews, sniffy dedications, publishers' rejection letters,literary friendships gone sour and why you should never lick a bookwith a green cover.

The First Mapping of America tells the story of the General Survey. At the heart of the story lie the remarkable maps and the men who made them - the commanding and highly professional Samuel Holland, Surveyor-General in the North, and the brilliant but mercurial William Gerard De Brahm, Surveyor-General in the South. Battling both physical and political obstacles, Holland and De Brahm sought to establish their place in the firmament of the British hierarchy. Yet the reality in which they had to operate was largely controlled from afar, by Crown administrators in London and the colonies and by wealthy speculators, whose approval or opposition could make or break the best laid plans as they sought to use the Survey for their own ends.

'An absolutely riveting book - reading it makes you intelligent, full of brilliant anecdotes - and very hungry indeed.' - Richard Curtis 'This brilliantly conceived and well-researched book is a source of real delight.' - Dr Annie Gray, BBC Radio 4's The Kitchen Cabinet 'Superbly written, a complete joy to read, and just about the perfect present for anyone even vaguely interested in food.' - Mark Diacono'A gastronomic delight. You can savour it a course at a time, or you may consume the whole banquet in one sitting. It's delicious either way - utterly scrumptious, in fact!' - Mike LeighThis fascinating miscellany of menus from around the world will educate as well as entertain, delighting both avid foodies and the general reader.Each menu provides an insight into its particular historical moment - from the typical food on offer in a nineteenth-century workhouse to the opulence of George IV's gargantuan coronation dinner. Some menus are linked with a specific and unforgettable event such as The Hindenburg's last flight menu or the variety of meals on offer for First, Second and Third Class passengers on board RMS Titanic, while others give an insight into sport, such as the 1963 FA Cup Final Dinner or transport and travel with the luxury lunch on board the Orient Express. Also included are literary occasions like Charles' Dickens 1868 dinner at Delmonicos in New York as well as the purely fictional and fantastical fare of Ratty's picnic in The Wind in the Willows.

Who had the most commercial success in their lifetime, Ernest Hemingway or Agatha Christie? Whose work has the most adaptations, F. Scott Fitzgerald or Franz Kafka? Who courted the most scandal, Colette or James Joyce? Pit 32 of the world's greatest modern writers against each other with these beautifully illustrated cards. An ideal gift for the book lover in your life.

‘What should I read next?’ Alex Johnson invites you to join him on his year of reading Welshly on a warm and witty journey through 52 books from Wales and about Wales.   From novels to poetry to non-fiction, Alex explores a rich and eclectic spread of books. Covering famous favourites such as Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood and Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin’s Ivor the Engine, through to contemporary hits such as Manon Steffan Ros’s The Blue Book of Nebo and Tiffany Murray’s My Family and Other Rock Stars, Alex’s ‘Reading Welshly’ list spans decades and genres.It’s not just about mines and farming (though there are plenty of those), but a window onto Welsh culture in all its complexity and diversity. Discover with Alex how Welsh books both reveal modern Wales and speak to universal themes of love, social struggle and identity.   Complete with discussion questions about each book and space to chart your own Reading Welshly progress, this is the ideal companion for readers and book groups to discover Wales through its rich and varied literature.