Jack Sanger – Jack Sanger

The Sorcery of Scribbling

In a blog, many moons ago, I wrote about the creation of The Azimuth Trilogy. I was fascinated by the act of writing myself into knowledge. Since I had placed the novel in ancient times and wasn’t a historian, everything in the books came from my imagination. When I had finished the thousand or so… Know More
Read more: The Sorcery of Scribbling
I write therefore I exist – but only if you read

If a tree falls in the forest and there is no-one around to hear it, does it make a sound? is a well known philosophical conundrum – since sound is only a vibration in our ears. Those that write e-books are posed with a parallel train of thought. If an e-book is written and posted… Know More
Read more: I write therefore I exist – but only if you read
Ghana and Synchronicity

Perhaps you know about Jungian notions of synchronicity but if so – bear with me a moment as I explain. If events occur that seem more than mere coincidence then they are synchronous. I begin this way as a preamble to three such experiences, occurring at different points in my life which came together in… Know More
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Sex with her indoors 16th century style

Apologies for the non-PC heading but it serves a purpose. Well, two. The first is to garner some attention and the second is to point to the fact that times haven’t changed much since Montaigne wrote the essays for which he is now remembered. I am basing this on Sarah Bakewell’s excellent book: How to… Know More
Read more: Sex with her indoors 16th century style
Big is Beautiful

Watching a Sky Arts panel discussion chaired by Mariella Frostrup at the Hay Festival, I was struck by an author I did not know called Lionel Shriver. She (she had assumed the male first name by choice when young) has just brought out a new novel, Big Brother, which echoes her personal tragedy of losing… Know More
Read more: Big is Beautiful
Living with Montaigne in the Mountains

I was reading Sarah Bakewell’s excellent book, How to Live, on the writings of Montaigne, today. You can imagine it; me laid out on my French terrace, blue skies, rearing mountain cliffs behind me, spring blossom from the Wisteria above, the ratcheting croaks of carrion crows in the woods and a particularly tuneful blackbird mimic… Know More
Read more: Living with Montaigne in the Mountains
Telling it how it is – Azimuth

A marketer said I should be more explicit about the story of the Azimuth Trilogy. Here’s what I have written. It’s now on the site. A royal historian, Kamil, is called to the court of his emperor. He is commissioned to write the history of a famous man, a magus, who lived many centuries before… Know More
Read more: Telling it how it is – Azimuth
Bare Faced Liars

I watched a programme made for the telly about the Dark Ages and how light they actually were. This one focused on Christianity in the first 400 years after the supposed birth of Christ. It examined the art of that period. For three hundred years there were no depictions of Christ at all, only ciphers,… Know More
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For Queen and Country

A soldier dies in London, hacked to pieces by two extremists. It is horrific. It is in broad daylight. The killers display a crazed imperturbability to the hand held cameras of ordinary passers-by. A woman bravely accosts them. Police arrive and shoot and injure them before they themselves are attacked. The media circus follows. The… Know More
Read more: For Queen and Country
Writing ‘A Woman Who Kills’

I’m about half way through a final edit of A Woman Who Kills. It ended up being 230 pages rather than the fifty or so that I had imagined. (See last blog.)Having finished Azimuth, got it printed and then put on every conceivable device platform, I wanted to keep writing but at a less intense… Know More
Read more: Writing ‘A Woman Who Kills’

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