Category Archives: Inspiring Stories

Framing the Rhino Picture

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Those of you who have been following the release of For Rhino in a Shrinking World will have already seen Sally Scott’s front cover picture – a powerful pastel drawing of a rhino regarding you through the bush.  I thought that it would make a special addition to our home so I bought it from her a couple of months ago.  Yesterday we took the rhino into town to Classic Framers and with Sophie’s collaboration we decided on the frame for it.  Here are a few quick pictures taken with my phone of the artist at work …. and the next thing, of course, will be to decide just where to hang it!

Tomas Tranströmer: reading his poems, playing piano

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In this video Tomas Tranströmer reads several of his most evocative poems (in Swedish, with subtitles in English) against translucent backdrops of the Swedish countryside that so inspires him.  The video also tells of the 2011 Nobel prize and highlights his piano playing, which echoes through the whole piece.  I was pleasantly surprised to find some of my favourite poems are in the video. I have read them at Reddit’s poetry – usually switching between my imperfect Swedish and the English translations.  I came across his poems quite by chance three years ago when I saw his collected works (in English) in the Academic Bookshop, Göteborg. After quickly browsing through them I bought the book.  Then I had to pluck up the courage to find them in Swedish translation and attempt to do justice to them by reading them aloud at Reddit’s.

South African ‘Pedal Power’ Invention Wins International Award: Stores Energy for Household Use

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This is one for all of my Swedish friends, especially the cyclists.  I am often asked about South Africa and its future and I always say that the popular view is a misrepresentation: reality is very different.  Here’s a great example of just that: the South African invention which has just won an international award (click the image for the link).  It enables you to store the energy generated whilst cycling for household use.

Thanks to South Africa: the Good News website for helping us keep sight of reality.