Author Archives: tthurai

15 Top Tips for Book Festival gigs

Posted on July 3, 2014 by tthurai

Be clear about your objectives. What do you want from your book festival appearance? Publicity, book sales, a chance to communicate with your readers? Use objectives to plan your strategy. Will you be paid? Be sure to discuss this with … Continue reading →

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Kent’s illustrious exiles: Sir John Kotelawala

Posted on June 5, 2014 by tthurai

When a character, encountered only in books, suddenly steps off the page, it is an electrifying experience. Nothing prepares you for that moment when the bare bones of history suddenly acquire flesh. You do not know where the discovery will … Continue reading →

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The Sissinghurst view of World War II

Posted on May 7, 2014 by tthurai

I recently read a Tweet from a bookseller which asked readers if they had adopted a book recently. It was one of those simple, but leading questions that started me thinking.  Yes, I thought. I have ‘adopted’ quite a few … Continue reading →

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A Neapolitan Christmas – in Kent

Posted on December 20, 2013 by tthurai

An extraordinary adventure began 17 years ago when I first met my friend Maria. I had been planning to go and work in Italy and learn the language but, instead, Italy – or rather Naples – came to me. Introduced … Continue reading →

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Buddharakkita Thera: a modern kingmaker

Posted on November 24, 2013 by tthurai

It was a personal, as much as a political, grievance that led to the death of Prime Minister Bandaranaike in 1959. The conspiracy to assassinate him was master-minded by his erstwhile patron, the powerful Buddhist monk, Mapitigama Buddharakkita Thera. Buddharakkita … Continue reading →

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The Extraordinary Case of the Prime Minister’s Murder

Posted on November 15, 2013 by tthurai

This is the second article in a three-part series which is currently being run in the Colombo Telegraph. Mr Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Ceylon 1956 – 1959 On a quiet September morning in 1959, two men were waiting for an … Continue reading →

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Sri Lanka: The Unbreakable Bond

Posted on November 11, 2013 by tthurai

This article was first published in the Colombo Telegraph (www.colombotelegraph.com) on November 10th, 2013. It is the first in a series of three. When I wrote my novel The Devil Dancers, I could not have predicted that the cycle of events … Continue reading →

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Shroud-eaters, vampires and plague doctors

Posted on October 31, 2013 by tthurai

In 2007, rare evidence of a ‘vampire burial’ was discovered near Venice. A 16th century skeleton was found, lying on its back, with a brick firmly wedged between its jaws. The skeleton was identified as that of a 60-year old … Continue reading →

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Survival against the odds: Canterbury’s medieval guest-house

Posted on October 25, 2013 by tthurai

Medieval pilgrims have featured prominently in my writing this year. First, there was William of Perth, the mysterious Scottish baker who shot to fame as Rochester’s patron saint and provided the inspiration for my story The Baker’s Boy. The research … Continue reading →

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Pity the Pilgrim: the medieval tourist trade

Posted on August 17, 2013 by tthurai

If you are packing your bags for a summer holiday, spare a thought for the medieval pilgrim. In most cases, the modern holiday from hell amounts to little more than a long queue at the airport or a hotel resembling … Continue reading →

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