Phidias - video

 I uploaded one of my short stories onto YouTube, about ancient Greek sculptor/architect Phidias.

https://youtu.be/j4Vf_NhTJD8?si=Aw0fxlvXWAEuOnMU

Princip

 Winamop has published my short story on Serbian nationalist/terrorist Gavrilo Princip. This is the description on the website: 'Simon King transports us back to the early 20th century, to meet Gavrilo Princip. If the name doesn't ring a bell then maybe Archduke Franz Ferdinand will? Princip is the bloke who shot him; and we all know what happened after that!

https://www.winamop.com/sk2505.htm

This is part fourteen from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.

Metternich

 Simon King is taking us back to the 19th century and we find ourselves in Brighton where we call in on former Austrian chancellor Klemen von Metternich, once a leading light in the "Concert of Europe".

https://www.winamop.com/sk2504.htm

This is part twelve from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.

Arius

 Winamop has published my short story on Cyrenaic presbyter and theologian Arius. Here's the description on the website: 'Simon King takes us right the way back to the first century when Christianity was in it's infancy. Here we find Arius who has some controversial ideas.' Except that that's wrong, as this took place during the fourth century AD, not the first, but nevermind!

https://www.winamop.com/sk2503.htm

This is part eleven from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.

Cook

 Winamop has published my short story about English comedian Peter Cook. This is the description on the website: 'Simon King drops in on another famous name from history, comedian and satirist Peter Cook. Cook was perhaps best known for his "Pete and Dud" sketches with Dudley Moore (and Derek and Clive!). Cook is the title.'

https://winamop.com/sk2502.htm

This is part ten from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.

Ahoy Facebook #24

 

New acquisitions. 😊

Seven books: I, Claudius by Robert Graves, Count Belisarius by Robert Graves, The Secret History by Procopius, Jorge Luis Borges by Colin Wilson, The Seventh Seal by Melvyn Bragg, Caspar David Friedrich by Robert Wolf and The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell: Henry VII’s Most Faithful Servant.

Late antiquity is a fascinating period in history. Robert Graves was a trained classicist who wrote fiction (and a soldier in WWI to boot), so I thought that I’d buy this classic novel about the Roman emperor Claudius. It starts off with Julius Ceasar’s assassination, into Caligula’s assassination and into Claudius’ accession to premiership until his death. The book was adapted into a famous television serial by the BBC. Additionally, Graves also wrote a novel about Justinian’s primary military commander, Belisarius. I thought that I’d buy that, too.

Talking of Belisarius, Procopius was a historian who was there at the time and most historical accounts of this period are based on his books. He followed Belisarius on his campaigns against the Vandals in North Africa and reconquering Rome from the Goths. I’ve been reading secondary sources about this recently, but I thought that it would be delightful to read the primary source. Apparently, he wrote in a very literate arcane Greek, but hopefully the English translation will be intelligible to me.

I’ve bought two books written by men who I appreciate about other men who I appreciate. I’ve been interested in Colin Wilson since my early 20s but, scandalously, I haven’t got around to reading him yet. He seems to have written a lot of garbage on the occult, crime and UFOs, but I was looking at his bibliography and I saw this book about Jorge Luis Borges and I thought that there was no-one stopping me from buying it, so I bought it. Melvyn Bragg wrote this book about The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman, a great film, so I thought that I’d buy it. Bragg saw the film in the late 50s and, after growing up in a working class town in Cumbria in the 40s and 50s, it blew him away. He had not seen anything like it, so he later wrote a book about it.

I have a poster of ‘Wanderer above the Sea of Fog’ by Caspar David Friedrich in my flat. As soon as you walk into the living room of my flat, it is palpably visible. I’ve loved this painting since I was about twenty. It encapsulates the European values of the individual, freedom, the sublime, beauty and autonomy. It has been my favourite painting for a long time, so I thought that I’d buy a book of art criticism about him.

I thought that it’d be interesting to read about the Protestant reformation in England, so I thought that I’d buy this book about Thomas Cromwell, Henry VII’s adviser.

New acquisitions. 🙂

Five CDs: Edge Bamyasi by Can, The Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen, The Best Band you Never Heard in Your Life by Frank Zappa, 88: The Last US Show by Frank Zappa and The Light User Syndrome by The Fall.

New acquisitions. 🙂

Six CDs: Symphony No. 3 by Henryk Gorecki/Dawn Upshaw/London Sinfonietta/David Zinmann, Heroes by David Bowie, Room to Live by The Fall, Flutter by Otomo Yoshihide, Blue by Otomo Yoshihide and Belladonna by Mary Halvorson.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2024/5993530?fbclid=IwY2xjawKDOzdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHvcqtBvWQPE4oZv2VmUv8ynrN9M4_0U18m_zBd8Ta3w8huW7_p3sK3vdPm1E_aem_L22pYKVN10R-a_4IR3jThQ

Here are all the books that I read last year. Didn't do that well last year - hopefully I'll do better this year. 👍

New acquisitions. 🙂

Three CDs: The Complete String Quartets by Ludwig van Beethoven/Alban Berg Quartet, The String Quartets by Franz Schubert/Quator Modigliani and The Complete Peel Sessions: 1978-2004 by The Fall.

I bought a bunch of box sets.

The late quartets by Beethoven and Schubert are some of the best classical pieces that I've heard, so I thought that I could buy all of them.

The Fall recorded sessions for John Peel from 1978 until 2004 (the bulk of their career) and this box set collects all of them. I thought that it'd be a nifty item to own (and listen to).

New acquisitions. 🙂

Six CDs: Studies 1-2 vol. 1 by Conlon Nancarrow, Mingus Moves by Charles Mingus, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady/Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus by Charles Mingus, Maggot Brain by Funkadelic, Beggars Banquet by The Rolling Stones and My Generation by The Who.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jan/16/david-lynch-twin-peaks-and-muholland-drive-director-dies-aged-78?fbclid=IwY2xjawKDPNNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkHesU6LMU4_DW5i1jS3BJ9za7NvnTzY6FScfmR-hU68aivrUTA8-ORlyVDj_aem_Z6zAz2MysPaMJv7KKv6qaA

Oh no! ☹️

I have completed my new novel, 'Digital Papyrus.' This is my second novel and my seventh book. (They're all slim little volumes.)

I find it hard to gauge the quality of my writing. I have no idea if this is a masterpiece or a pile of garbage (or something in between). When some people tell me that they enjoy my books, I can't tell if it's genuine or they're being polite.

I'm printing twenty copies of this. I toyed with the idea of charging for this, as I don't have much money, but I'm still not sure many people would be willing to pay for this, so I'm still giving them away. There are still five copies available.

SYNOPSIS: Paul Harloe is a classicist at Oxford, specialising in ancient Greek political history and philosophy. His friend Edward Mackintosh, a computer scientist, has invented a groundbreaking device aimed exclusively for him...

New acquisitions. 🙂

Two t-shirts: an Ornette Coleman-themed t-shirt and a Miles Davis-themed t-shirt.

I went to an Ornette Coleman concert in 2009 when I was a gawky 19-year-old. I bought a t-shirt then, but I've worn it so much over the years that the print faded. I thought that I could buy another one, so this is precisely what I've done. On top of that, I've bought a Miles Davis-themed t-shirt (another jazz legend) to let the whole world know how much I like him.

New acquisition. 🙂

One book: How Much is Enough: Money and the Good Life by Robert Skidelsky and Edward Skidelsky.

I'm currently at Oxford, as I'm attending a concert here tomorrow. I went into the Blackwell's book shop and bought this book. Robert Skidelsky is an authority on J. M. Keynes. Keynes thought that the point of work was that it should give you enough money so that you can have leisure time. He wanted people to be paid more and to work fewer hours. He even thought that we would have a fifteen-hour working week, which has not happened. He was against the pursuit of wealth for its own sake. He was a lover of the arts and he thought that people should have more free time so that they can pursue the 'good life.'

New acquisitions. 🙂

Six CDs: The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection by John Lee Hooker, The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection by Howlin' Wolf, The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection by Bo Diddley, The Essential Recordings by Big Mama Thornton, The Best of Sonny Boy Williamson by Sonny Boy Williamson and Rock me Mama by Lightnin' Slim.

New acquisitions. 🙂

Two records: Recording Together for the First Time by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington and Birds of Fire by Mahavishnu Orchestra.

The copies of my latest book have arrived. 🙂

I did my last four books either when I was living at home or a year after I had moved into my flat, when I had savings. I could only fund this by asking money from my dad, but he did so under the condition that I sell them. I would like to still give them away, but I no longer have the resources to do that.

I'll charge £10 for each copy. If you live abroad, I'll add an extra £3 for international shipping.

This is a voluntary exchange, this is not a tax. I'm not forcing you to do this. If you decide that you don't want to pay for this, then I'm fine with that and I won't feel upset.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg41r4kx0lko?fbclid=IwY2xjawKDQJpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnicvMFxI4kJm4awIKiSGvxmLtVPXMhjb_KWIO4hZkGlRYBhWtiFFUj5MKnC_aem_6kglhf4JwbIg9gwcPWK0Jg

☹️☹️☹️☹️

New acquisitions. 🙂

Six DVDs: Passport to Pimlico by Henry Cornelius, Kind Hearts and Coronets by Robert Hamer, Marnie by Alfred Hitchcock, Get Carter by Mike Hodges, All the President's Men by Alan J. Pakula and The Devil, Probably by Robert Bresson.

Fifteen Characters: Volume Three

After finishing Fifteen Characters: Volume Two, I want to continue writing little stories about historical figures. However, to save money on production costs, I will amalgamate them and call my next book 'Fifteen Characters: Volumes Two and Three.'

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Napoleon

John Maynard Keynes

Fredrich Hayek

Karl Popper

James Joyce

Diocletian

Louis Armstrong 

Richard Nixon

Vladimir 

Touissant Louverture

Nicias 

Andrei Tarkovsky

Romulus Augustulus

Mehmed II

Phidias

 Winamop has published my short story about Ancient Greek sculptor, painter and architect Phidias. This is the description on the website: 'Simon King looks in on the life of another notable figure from history. This time it's the ancient Greek sculptor, painter, and architect Phidias who was active in the 5th century BC (thanks Wikipedia, who needs A.I. when I can use Wiki?).'

https://winamop.com/sk2501.htm

This is part nine from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.

Digital Papyrus - Novel

 I have completed my new novel, 'Digital Papyrus.' This is my second novel and my seventh book. (They're all slim little volumes.)

I find it hard to gauge the quality of my writing. I have no idea if this is a masterpiece or a pile of garbage (or something in between). When some people tell me that they enjoy my books, I can't tell if it's genuine or they're being polite.

I'm printing twenty copies of this. I toyed with the idea of charging for this, as I don't have much money, but I'm still not sure many people would be willing to pay for this, so I'm still giving them away. There are still five copies available.

SYNOPSIS: Paul Harloe is a classicist at Oxford, specialising in ancient Greek political history and philosophy. His friend Edward Mackintosh, a computer scientist, has invented a groundbreaking device aimed exclusively for him...

Cover illustrated by Sofia Lindgren.

Email simonking19965@gmail.com if you would like a copy.

Johnson

 Winamop has published my short story about American blues musician Blind Willie Johnson. This is the description on the website: 'Simon King looks into the lives of well-known figures from the past. This time it's blues man Blind Willie Johnson who met a sad demise... as so many did. Read Johnson.'

http://www.winamop.com/sk2500.htm

Part eight from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.