letters

Letters written by James Bond creator Ian Fleming, to be sold at auction next month, reveal a close relationship with the author's typist, Jean Frampton. He frequently called on her for pointers on plot and style.

This is news to old Fleming fanatics like me.

This blog is made up of transcripts of Harry Lamin's letters from the first World War. The letters will be posted exactly 90 years after they were written. To find out Harry's fate, follow the blog!

Private correspondence can give us a glimpse into the everyday world of other people, a sense of personality and perspective. This blog features personal letters that offer glimpses into the everyday lives of famous authors.

Personal writings of the famous went on the auction block at Christie’s yesterday, among them letters penned by Napoleon, Cromwell, John Donne, James Joyce…the list goes on. You could have snagged a Hemmingway rant for a mere £78,000. Did they ever suspected their private scribblings would be worth a fortune? There’s a lesson here, though. If you ever get famous, burn your old love letters.

Evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin thought the voyage of the Beagle was a "magnificent scheme" allowing him to spend time "larking round the world".