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  A Saga of the Seas - From their...

  Kenneth Grahame

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  Kenneth Grahame was born on 8th March 1859 in Edinburgh. 
  At age 5 his mother succumbed to puerperal fever.  His father, who had a drinking problem, now sent his 4 children to live with their grandmother at her large house in Cookham, Berkshire. Here the children lived in large open grounds next to the river.  These early experiences would in later years, be retold in his writing through a myriad of characters. 
  Grahame loved being a pupil at St Edward's School, Oxford and wanted to enroll at the university there but his guardian demurred on account of the cost. 
  Instead, a banking career was chosen for him, starting in 1879 at the Bank of England, where he rose steadily to the rank of its Secretary until retiring, with a pension, in 1908 due to ill health. 
  Alongside his commercial career Grahame had written and published various stories and essays in several periodicals. Some were anthologized as ‘Pagan Papers’ in 1893, and two years later ‘The Golden Age’ and later still ‘Dream Days’ and its masterpiece ‘The Reluctant Dragon’ became part of many home libraries.  His ability to view life through the lens of a young and curious child was superb, enabling the reader to easily identify with the character.   
  Grahame married Elspeth Thomson in 1899 and they had one child; Alastair, born semi-blind and plagued by health problems.  In a heart-rending tragedy he would later take his own life whilst attending Oxford University in 1920.   
  In 1908 Grahame reworked many of the bedtime stories he had fashioned for his son into the enduring favourite; ‘The Wind in the Willows’, describing the heart-warming adventures of Mr Toad and his friends.   
  Kenneth Grahame died in Pangbourne, Berkshire, on 6th July 1932.

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  The Venetian Silk-Mercere - A...

  Carlo Gozzi

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  The bookshelves of European literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From this continent their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them is Grazia Deledda.

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  The Drug - From their pens to...

  Aleister Crowley

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  Edward Alexander Crowley was born on 12th October 1875 to wealthy parents in Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. 
  He was educated at Malvern College, Tonbridge School, Eastbourne College and finally Trinity College, Cambridge where he focused on his passions of mountaineering and poetry and published several volumes. 
  Life for Crowley was to abandon his parents’ Christian faith and instead to inject himself into Western esotericism.  In 1898, he joined the esoteric Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and was trained in ceremonial magic before studying both Hindu and Buddhist practices in India. 
  On his Egyptian honeymoon in 1904 he claimed contact with an entity―Aiwass―who gave him the sacred Book of the Law which served as the basis for the Thelema religion where he identified as its prophet.  During the Great War, which he spent in the United States, he claimed to be working for British Intelligence but by the 1920s he had decamped to pursue a libertine lifestyle in Sicily, and in the ensuing scandals was evicted by the Italian Government. 
  He divided the following two decades between France, Germany, and England, and the continuing promotion of Thelema. 
  During his life he gained widespread notoriety for his drug use, his bisexuality, and his alarming views on society.  In short, polite society frowned on his ways, his thoughts and his influence but to many others his stance had much of value.  Even after death he was a darling for the 60’s counterculture but his influence has since waned.   
  His literary works were both prolific and covered many topics.  In the early part of his career he published many poetry books, even plays, before his darker and more forceful works came to dominate his output. 
  Aleister Crowley died on 1st December 1947 at Hastings in England. He was 72.

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  The Name Tree - From their pens...

  Mary Webb

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  Mary Gladys Meredith was born on 25th March 1881 at Leighton Lodge in the village of Leighton, near Shrewsbury in Shropshire.  
  Mary was home-schooled by her father before being sent to a finishing school in Southport in 1895. Her longs walks in the countryside helped her develop a heightened sense of observation and description, of both people and places, which later infused both her poetry and prose. 
  When she was 20 she developed symptoms of Graves' disease, a thyroid disorder that caused bulging protuberant eyes and throat goitre. This caused life-long ill health and was a possible contributor to her early death.  
  Mary was first published as a teenager when her brother sent to a local newspaper her poem on a recent rail accident.  Mary, who was in the habit of destroying her work was appalled though placated when she discovered that it had received some positive appreciation in readers letters. 
  1912 brought marriage to Henry Bertram Law Webb, a teacher. He supported her literary work which, in 1917, resulted in the publication of her novel ‘The Golden Arrow.’ 
  A few years later they acquired a property in London where, it was hoped, recognition of her literary talents would be more easily recognised.   
  Her 1924 novel, ‘Precious Bane’, won the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse, the prestigious French literary prize awarded by an all-female jury. 
  Most of her poetry and various other works were only published after her death. 
  By 1927 her health was deteriorating and her marriage failing.   
  Mary Webb died on 8th October 1927 at St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex.  She was 46.

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  Summer Boarders; or The Great...

  Josephine Van Tassel Bruorton

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  Introducing the captivating world of "Summer Boarders; or The Great Jewel Mystery" in its all-new digital audio book version! Immerse yourself in an enchanting tale of mystery, friendship, and adventure that will keep you hooked from the very first word to the final thrilling twist. 
   
  "Summer Boarders" takes you on an unforgettable journey to a picturesque countryside, where a group of diverse and intriguing characters come together for an eventful summer. As the story unfolds, you'll be drawn into a web of secrets, suspense, and a treasure hunt like no other! 
   
  Step into the shoes of the summer boarders and join them on their extraordinary quest to uncover the truth behind "The Great Jewel Mystery." As they stumble upon an ancient legend and hidden gems, you'll be transported into a world where every chapter unravels a new layer of intrigue and excitement. 
   
  Delight in the richly developed characters, each with their own quirks and personalities that will make you laugh, gasp, and empathize with their individual journeys. From the adventurous protagonist with a thirst for discovery to the enigmatic local guide with a mysterious past, you'll be engrossed in their lives and experiences. 
   
  Suspense and mystery permeate every chapter, and you'll find yourself engrossed in piecing together the clues as the thrilling plot thickens. Unravel the secrets of the past and witness the unexpected twists that keep you on the edge of your seat, eagerly anticipating what comes next.

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  Narrated Archives - Anthology of...

  Sally Barron

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  Welcome to this collection of timeless tales, drawn entirely from the public domain. Narrated Archives explores the extensive public domain library to offer readers and listeners both enduring classics and forgotten tales. The content spans genres including adventure, mystery, horror, love, and the human spirit, all waiting to be rediscovered. Here, you will find stories that have shaped literature, commented on culture of the day, made observations and entertained generations, featuring a variety of authors whose words have transcended time. 
  Each chapter introduces the author(s) with a brief biography. 
  Authors include but are not limited to:Louis BromfieldWilla CartherEdna FerberMary Eleanor Wilkins FreemanZona GaleO. HenryAlexander KuprinAlbert Lee H. P. LovecraftLucy Maud MontgomeryDorothy ParkerBanjo PatersonRobert Louis StevensonHenry David ThoreauH. G. WellsEdith Wharton 
  The stories, essays, poems and articles are sourced from archives like Project Gutenberg, a wonderful resource for public domain books, and have been curated to offer a diverse listening experience. 
  We invite you to sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in these literary treasures.

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