BBC Radio Devon - Caroline Densley, 19/02/2026 Caroline gets Devon talking and celebrates the best of what's going on in the county.

Professor @timkendall70.bsky.social of @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social spoke to BBC Radio in the South West about the new TV adaption of Lord of the Flies and the William Golding archive held at @exeter.ac.uk

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Thank ypu, Dan!

William Golding: The Faber Letters (ONLINE event) To mark the publication of William Golding: The Faber Letters, join editor Tim Kendall and the author's daughter, Judy Golding for an online discussion featuring readings.

Along with William Golding's daughter Judy, I'll be talking about Golding and his forty-year friendship with his editor at Faber, Charles Monteith, at this online event on 12 November at 7pm. Nicola Presley asks the questions. It should be fun. www.faber.co.uk/product/will...

Just arrived this afternoon: the paperback edition of my WW2 anthology.

Fly agaric. Hallucinogenic but very volatile and unpredictable in its effects. We left these for any shamans that happened to be passing.

This is forthcoming in early November. The project accompanied me through cancer, chemo and Covid, so I'm a little emotional that it's finally making its bow. What an honour to edit William Golding, who has been 'my author' since I first read The Spire as a teenager.

Allan Ahlberg, beloved children's author, dies aged 87 Working first with his wife Janet, and later with illustrators including Raymond Briggs and Bruce Ingman, he wrote more than 150 books

Allan Ahlberg, one of the great writers for children, has died. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

7am this morning in the drizzle at Axmouth Harbour. All season I've been looking for adders on heathland with no luck. Then I stumble across this beauty while I'm just out walking the dog.

Still no swifts but we spotted the first swallow of the year in Colyton this morning. That's about a fortnight later than usual.

In our recent podcast episode, the SF team sit down with William Golding's daughter Judy and Professor Tim Kendall @timkendall70.bsky.social to discuss this brilliant #writer. Listen via the link or wherever you get your podcasts.

foxedquarterly.com/william-golding-slightly-foxed-podcast-episode-52

Poetry of the Second World War Join us as Professor Tim Kendall talks about the Poetry of the Second World War.

Tomorrow, 5 March, 5.30pm, London Archives. I'll be holding forth on the poetry of the Second World War. Wait, SECOND world war? www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-of-...

Delighted to welcome @fionamathews.bsky.social & @timkendall70.bsky.social in Chiswick on 18th March to speak to us about their life in mammal conservation and their fab book! Visit wildchiswick.com/event/mammal... to learn more and register. All welcome!

Beaver releases into wild to be allowed in England for first time in centuries Exclusive: Government to grant nature groups a licence for release of rodent species after earlier setbacks

It took far too long but we got there in the end. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Book Event - Poetry of the Second World War Join us as Professor Tim Kendall talks about the Poetry of the Second World War.

For generations of readers brought up on the #poetry of 1914-1918, it may come as a surprise to discover that the Second World War produced any poetry at all.
Want to know why? Head to #TheLondonArchives for a talk by @timkendall70.bsky.social to find out! #WW2

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-event...

The Guardian view on campus cuts: academics pay a high price for Westminster’s mistakes | Editorial Editorial: The government should not stand aloof as a crisis unfolds in our universities. A new settlement is needed

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Dawn French isn't a real fan. Foot was. As for Holyfield...

That was fun.

William Golding and the problem of Goodness - Oxford Centre for Spiritual Growth William Golding and the problem with Goodness - A Reflective Study Day led by Professor Tim Kendall, Exeter University

On 17 May I will be leading a study day in Oxford on William Golding's fiction. www.ocsg.uk.net/event/the-au...

Episode 52: William Golding: A Literary Colossus The first title that springs to mind at the mention of William Golding’s name is most often Lord of the Flies. The classic story . . .

Judy Golding and I talk to the Slightly Foxed team about her father's novels and his lasting legacy. foxedquarterly.com/william-gold...

No 10 blocks beaver release plan as officials view it as ’Tory legacy’ Exclusive: Natural England furious that years of work has been undone, with minister urged to push policy through

I'd heard this rumour and I still can't quite believe it's true. It would be the most stupid and craven policy decision imaginable. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Black Ops and Beaver Bombing: Adventures with Britain's… Countryfile's best nature and wildlife books for 2023 S…

Just discovered we have a 4.43☆ rating on Goodreads for Black Ops and Beaver Bombing 🦫📖🐾. Thanks for the kind words folks! www.goodreads.com/book/show/12...

‘He wouldn’t hurt a fly – literally’: remembering Gerald Durrell at 100 The beloved conservationist, who died in 1995, would have turned 100 today. A new collection, Myself and Other Animals, traces the origins of his lifelong rapture with animals

Happy centenary to Gerald Durrell! www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

The secret movement bringing Europe’s wildlife back from the brink - Coda Story An underground network of wildlife enthusiasts and their billionaire backers claim they’re restoring Europe’s biodiversity. But some scientists say they could destroy it.

www.codastory.com/climate-cris...

‘Britain is full of wildlife rebels’: The illicit group releasing beavers into the wild Frustrated by slow government progress on increasing the beaver population, some activists have taken matters into their own hands

A very fair article on beaver bombing from a surprising source. None of this would need to happen if successive governments weren't so pusillanimous. (P.S. Why not gift a copy of BLACK OPS AND BEAVER BOMBING for Christmas? It's a banger.) www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12...

Many thanks to @ravoon.bsky.social in The Times for choosing POETRY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR as his 'standout anthology' of the year.

Public consultation over wildcat reintroduction in the South West of England finds a massive majority in favour. hdl.handle.net/10871/139253

The Guardian view on humanities in universities: closing English Literature courses signals a crisis With degrees disappearing and reading rates plummeting, the arts face a critical moment in education and culture

The Guardian wades in on the decline of Eng. Lit. Plenty of handwringing but no solutions. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Nor do we.

Has ‘wokeness’ killed the English literature degree? With universities starting to axe the course, the subject that helped shape Britain’s national identity is falling into crisis

A mixture of the true and the silly in this article predicting the demise of the Eng Lit degree. Is Jekyll and Hyde really 'an awful novel`? And if a dog is already dead, isn't it overkill to 'put it down'? www.telegraph.co.uk/books/author...

I highly recommend the new Poetry of the Second World War anthology edited by @timkendall70.bsky.social A great mix of poets, with illuminating short intros to each of them. And the Notes at the back are so helpful in explaining references today’s reader might not get.