A monster created by Van Der Graaf Generator — In 1975 I was coming into my eighteenth year. In the early summer I had hitch hiked around Europe, ending up on the beaches of Greece. This was in the days before the package tour explosion. Greece was relatively unmolested. Places like Corfu still remained a series of small, sleepy…

A shaggy dog tale meets up with a fishy one — It was another of those days. Another routine morning starting with a peaceful and pleasant dog walk around the campus lake. What could be more refreshing? The sun was shining, the birds were singing, another Disney Day ahead. Well not quite… I spoke way too soon. It’s Moth and Milo…

Look out who’s coming to 10 Downing Street — Few people will be sad to see the back of Boris Johnson, although his long goodbye will be consuming the rest of summer. Few, that is, other than those who prioritise bargain-bin charisma over moral integrity in politics. Yet we have little to celebrate in what is to come. There…

The fundamentals of occult practice for today — In ancient times, sigils were used as a pictorial representation of a deity or demon. Such as in the Lesser Key of Solomon there are 72 sigils illustrated as the occult symbol or signature of each demon. Such symbols are seen as the true name of the demon, or angel. …

An Eighteenth Century Lonely Planet to Ladies of the Night — Going down the rabbit hole of research becomes something in itself. I drink from the enchanted well of amnesia and forget about the book I am writing. The research forgets its own purpose. It learns to exist without being humbled by the greater good. …

And the wonderfully annoying world of philosophy — Back in the day I was busy on my first degree. As I was working full time it was a six year stretch. One of the modules that I studied was called ‘Philosophy of the Arts.’ It was my first venture into this particular form of academic torture and, damn…

Writing exercise Diary of Henryk Novak (retrieved by the police at the scene and translated by Amanda Kowalski) ‘Henryk.’ The voice whispers, perfumed and urgent, from shades of sleep. Waking… Then pain comes, hard and I cry out. My leg caught in gear stick. Bitching. …

Step away from the fan. You have been warned. — The monster is coming. It’s been confirmed by the BBC. A national emergency has been declared. Get up from under the bed. Take your hands from your eyes. There is no escape so you may as well face it. The weather, that is. Tomorrow will be hot and sunny. Okay…

Because I’m also a reader — Writing was the one of the first school activities in my childhood that gave me pleasure. It ran alongside reading, both jockeying for poll position. Of course really there is no competition between the two. They are conjoined twins. Always to be together. Always to need each other. You cannot…