This month I read the children’s book The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren. It is an exceptionally well-written adventure of two brothers (one brave and one not so) and their time in the next life.

The ability of Lindgren to illuminate themes such as death, morality, self-esteem, spirituality and kinship in a way that is accessible to pre-adolescent children is remarkable. The clarity required in order to achieve this makes it such an important piece of literature for all ages.

Novels are vehicles for ideas and so often the idea gets lost or muddled by needless complexity. Authors shouldn’t be frightened of laying bare the simplicity of their point. George Orwell is a fine example of someone who didn’t have this fear. Animal Farm, the allegorical satire of the Soviet Union, reads prima facie as a children’s book. Nineteen Eighty Four, the dystopian nightmare, carries complex themes in a way so accessible that they have woven into popular culture.

I believe that poetry is a spectrum with the extremes of ‘lyrical’ and ‘philosophical’. It is always a challenge to find the right place on this spectrum for a piece of work. You can easily lose the force of an idea by an overuse of imagery and verbosity. At other times, a poem’s sole intention is to create an image of beauty.

For the philosophical, I draw great inspiration from books such as The Brothers Lionheart and that is why I would always recommend broadening (or rekindling!) one’s appreciation of children’s literature.

This month's favourites:
   Andrew Combs, Worried Man
   Astrid Lindgren, The Brothers Lionheart
   Port of Call (1948)