Patricia Ferguson – författare

A BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime. The new novel from Orange Prize listed author Patricia Ferguson is a deeply moving tale about two sisters and the young black orphan who changes their lives - for anyone who loves Call the Midwife or Andrea Levy. Violet Dimond, the Holy Terror, has delivered many of the town children - and often their children - in her capacity as handywoman. But Violet's calling is dying out as, with medicine's advances, the good old ways are no longer good enough.Grace, Violet's adopted daughter, is a symbol of change herself. In the place where she has grown up and everyone knows her, she is accepted, though most of the locals never before saw a girl with skin that colour. For Violet and Grace the coming war will bring more upheaval into their lives: can they endure it, or will they, like so many, be swept aside by history's tide?A moving tale of prejudice, struggle, love, tragedy, bravery and the changing lives of women in the twentieth century, The Midwife's Daughter grips the reader all the way to its heartstopping conclusion.Praise for Patricia Ferguson:'Strong, affecting, vividly depicted . . . It is a pure pleasure to read' Lionel Shriver, Telegraph (on Peripheral Vision by Patricia Ferguson)'One of the most brilliant novelists around . . . funny, gripping, wonderfully shrewd' IndependentPatricia Ferguson trained in nursing and midwifery, and her first book, Family Myths and Legends, won the Betty Trask, David Higham and Somerset Maugham awards. Her most recent books, It So Happens and Peripheral Vision were both longlisted for the Orange Prize. She lives in Bristol.

Following on from The Midwife's Daughter, Aren't We Sisters? is a gripping novel about buried secrets and unlikely friendship.Norah Thornby can no longer afford to live in her grand family home in the centre of Silkhampton. Unless, perhaps, she can find a respectable lodger.But Nurse Lettie Quick is not nearly as respectable as she seems. What's really going on at the clinic she has opened? And why has she chosen Silkhampton?Meanwhile the beautiful Rae Grainger has found the perfect place to stay, in an isolated house miles away from the town. It's certainly rather creepy, especially at candlelit bedtime, but Rae knows that all she has to do is stay out of sight, until others - paid, professional others - are ready to take her little problem away. Then she can just forget the whole ghastly business . . . can't she?No one guesses, of course, that there's a killer quietly at work in Silkhampton; that in one way or another all three women are in danger . . .

'I never told anyone about my ghost, the one I saw . . .'In this short, spine-tingling story, author of The Midwife's Daughter and Aren't We Sisters? Patricia Ferguson tells the tale of a nurse who remembers her early days working in a neonatal unit.Praise for Patricia Ferguson:'She draws on years of experience working as a nurse and midwife to produce acute, skilful descriptions' FT'Hugely enjoyable, classic storytelling' RedPatricia Ferguson trained in nursing and midwifery, and her first book, Family Myths and Legends, won the Betty Trask, David Higham and Somerset Maugham awards. It So Happens and Peripheral Vision were both longlisted for the Orange Prize. Her most recent books, The Midwife's Daughter and Aren't We Sisters? are published by Penguin. Patricia Ferguson lives in Bristol.

From the introduction of woodblock printing in China to the development of copper-plate engraving in Europe, the print medium has been used around the world to circulate knowledge. Ceramic artists across time and cultures have adapted these graphic sources as painted or transfer-printed images applied onto glazed or unglazed surfaces to express political and social issues including propaganda, self-promotion, piety, gender, national and regional identities. Long before photography, printers also included pots in engravings or other two-dimensional techniques which have broadened scholarship and encouraged debate.  Pots, Prints and Politics examines how European and Asian ceramics traditionally associated with the domestic sphere have been used by potters to challenge convention and tackle serious issues from the 14th to the 20th century. Using the British Museum’s world-renowned ceramics and prints collections as a base, the authors have challenged and interrogated a variety of ceramic objects – from teapots to chamber pots – to discover new meanings that are as relevant today as they were when they were first conceived.

New Edition Now Available!The world has become a global village connected by the speed of information processing via the Internet. Students need to look inward to identify themselves and their ""bliss"" while also being in tune with the interpersonal skills needed to succeed in an increasingly diverse world.The Hero's Journey differs from many life/career planning books in several fundamental ways. It includes chapters on emotional intelligence, social intelligence/diversity, and critical thinking to address the abilities one will need to have when entering the current job market. The twenty-first-century workplace requires more skills than any generation in the past. These skills go well beyond simply having the skills required to perform the duties and functions of a particular job.Unique to the market, The Hero's Journey:Utilizes the ""whole person"" approach that focuses on the internal landscape of the person. It is internally directed and operates on the premise that everything ""out there"" begins with understanding what is going on ""inside."" The ""whole person"" view enables students to gain insight into his/her nature and to make better choices on ""best fit"" careers.Aligns all the topics with the four elements of the hero's journey, as defined by Joseph Campbell. The elements of the hero's journey are metaphors for progressive aspects of the developmental states of human growth, motivation, and career decision making. By exploring these elements, the student discovers and understands enough about himself/herself to be able to identify his/her ""bliss"" and the path to follow to obtain it.Is easy to adopt! The authors have created a full-fledged instructor's website featuring a sample syllabus, instructor's manual, instructor tips/notes, and PowerPoint presentations.

This exquisite gift book explores the phenomenon of 'garnitures', or matching sets of ceramic vases. From the 1650s such sets were used in elite European interiors as an integral part of the decorative scheme; displayed on chimney-pieces, cupboards, tables or over doors, they 'garnished' the interior and so enhanced the status of the owner. The fashion began in Europe using mismatched Chinese porcelain beakers and jars. As imports of Chinese porcelain ceased between 1657 and 1683, European potters at Nevers and Delft copied the originally exotic forms, unifying the sets with matching patterns, or with metal mounts. The fashion continued throughout the 1700s, with almost every ceramic manufactory producing examples, but came to its conclusion during the Arts and Crafts period, when the singular vase became the rage and many sets were broken up and dispersed. This book brings together some of the National Trust's most important sets of garnitures, showing them in their historic context. Many have never been published before, and will be an important souvenir of a unique exhibition.