Dilliebooks Blog

The Magical Summer Solstice

Posted by Carol Browne on 21 Jun 2021

“What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfilment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.”
Gertrude Jekyll

We all know there is something special about the month of June. It is the...

From Daydream to Dream Realised

Posted by Carol Browne on 4 Feb 2020

Tags: fiction, writing, ideas, inspiration

Have you ever wondered where writers get their ideas from? Here, Carol Browne tells what inspired her to write The Exile of Elindel.

It was way back in 1976 that my literary destiny was decided for me, one summer’s evening as I was sitting in an English pub in Runcorn, Cheshire. As I sipped...

Stand Together

Posted by Carol Browne on 27 Jan 2020

Tags: Holocaust Memorial Day, Being Krystyna

In 2020, Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the 25th anniversary of the Genocide in Bosnia. The fact that ethnic cleansing has continued is a chilling reminder that the racism and intolerance of the Nazis has never gone away. The dwindling...

Torn From Home

Posted by Carol Browne on 25 Jan 2019

Tags: WWII, Holocaust, survivor

Being Krystyna author Carol Browne reflects on what the theme of this year's Holocaust Memorial Day means

In this life many of us are torn from home. The reasons this happens to us are varied. It could be economic necessity that forces us to move elsewhere to find work. It could be further...

The importance of remembering

Posted by Carol Browne on 11 Nov 2017

Tags: Poland, real life, Being Krystyna, Holocaust, WW2

As Remembrance Day draws near and with it the first anniversary of the publication of my book Being Krystyna-A Story of Survival in WWII, I find I have been reflecting on these past twelve months and all the changes I’ve seen. One of the saddest events of the past year was the death of Krystyna...

Celebrating Women's Stories and Strength

Posted on 7 Mar 2017

Tags: International Women's Day, inspirational women

To mark this year's International Women's Day, our podcast features our very own fabulous female writers. Dilliebooks' founder Sharon McKee talks to Carol Browne, Eileen Masters and Penny Knight about the strength and resilience of women and which women they admire. Listen to the podcast below, we...

Remembering Krystyna

Posted by Carol Browne on 5 Mar 2017

Tags: Poland, real life, Being Krystyna, Holocaust, WW2

We are deeply saddened by the news that holocaust survivor Krystyna Porsz has passed away. Carol Browne, author of Being Krystyna, pays tribute to a truly remarkable lady.

This week I had some very sad news. Krystyna Porsz, the subject of my novella Being Krystyna, died at the age of 95...

Personal Stories Are Vital Records

Posted by Carol Browne on 26 Jan 2017

Tags: Poland, real life, Being Krystyna, Holocaust, WW2

*Friday 27th January is Holocaust Memorial Day and also sees the UK release of Denial, a film based on the true court case involving Holocaust denier David Irving. These events will focus people’s attention on what happened of course, but Dilliebooks founder Sharon McKee believes we need to...

Making Space for Writing

Posted by Carol Browne on 10 Jan 2017

Tags: resolutions, winter, goals, writing

Carol Browne author of Being Krystyna talks about juggling writing with work and life, and why making more space for writing is her goal for this year.

My number one writing resolution for 2017 doesn’t involve writing per se, but making space for writing.

Many authors lament the necessity...

Author's picks of 2016

Posted on 21 Dec 2016

Tags: 2016, books, reading, recommendations

We asked our authors which books they'd enjoyed in 2016, and what an eclectic, interesting response we had! Here are some of their top picks...

Penny Knight
My favourite book was Wild by Cheryl Strayed - she was a free spirited gutsy girl who walked independently along America's Pacific...