Derek Collett
@dmc1965.bsky.social
Editor, writer, book-lover, sports nut, culture vulture.
After 2 years of struggle, this novel I republished in 2023 has suddenly started to sell quite well. Find out what all the fuss is about by buying your own copy. Buy from Amazon, other online retailers or by ordering a copy from a UK bookshop and enjoy in time for Christmas!
December 7, 2025 at 12:58 PM
After 2 years of struggle, this novel I republished in 2023 has suddenly started to sell quite well. Find out what all the fuss is about by buying your own copy. Buy from Amazon, other online retailers or by ordering a copy from a UK bookshop and enjoy in time for Christmas!
RIP Robin Smith. As a student at Southampton University in the mid-1980s I had the great good fortune to watch him play for Hampshire a number of times. Best square cut I ever saw, with the possible exception of his Hants teammate Gordon Greenidge.
December 2, 2025 at 2:49 PM
RIP Robin Smith. As a student at Southampton University in the mid-1980s I had the great good fortune to watch him play for Hampshire a number of times. Best square cut I ever saw, with the possible exception of his Hants teammate Gordon Greenidge.
Members of Australia's youthful, dynamic and vibrant bowling attack limber up ahead of tomorrow's First Ashes Test...
November 20, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Members of Australia's youthful, dynamic and vibrant bowling attack limber up ahead of tomorrow's First Ashes Test...
I didn't think that the remainder of the movie lived up to the promise of the very fine opening half hour, but The Choral is warm, funny and beautifully made, with the occasional bit of grittiness thrown in to stop it ever becoming too saccharin. Almost an exemplary piece of British film-making.
November 15, 2025 at 7:04 PM
I didn't think that the remainder of the movie lived up to the promise of the very fine opening half hour, but The Choral is warm, funny and beautifully made, with the occasional bit of grittiness thrown in to stop it ever becoming too saccharin. Almost an exemplary piece of British film-making.
This is arguably David's finest work as a solo artist, although all three of his albums are excellent.
My 1st solo LP was released 4 years ago today with an amazing sleeve by Pinkie Maclure, sterling contributions by Rory Attwell, Katherine Whitaker, Terry Edwards, Daren Garratt, Alison Cotton and The Iskra Strings. Some songs are still relevant:
davidcallahan.bandcamp.com/track/born-o...
davidcallahan.bandcamp.com/track/born-o...
Born Of The Welfare State Was I, by David Lance Callahan
from the album English Primitive I
davidcallahan.bandcamp.com
October 29, 2025 at 5:54 PM
This is arguably David's finest work as a solo artist, although all three of his albums are excellent.
Jane Austen has never appealed to me at all but this performance of 'Emma' at Oxford Playhouse, which I saw yesterday, was superb. Fast-paced, very humorous, brilliantly acted and simply but very effectively staged. I warmly recommend it.
October 24, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Jane Austen has never appealed to me at all but this performance of 'Emma' at Oxford Playhouse, which I saw yesterday, was superb. Fast-paced, very humorous, brilliantly acted and simply but very effectively staged. I warmly recommend it.
Which genius decided to stage a major cricket tournament partly in Sri Lanka during the monsoon season?
October 21, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Which genius decided to stage a major cricket tournament partly in Sri Lanka during the monsoon season?
Last night I dreamt that I was giving Emma Raducanu a lecture about the novels of Nigel Balchin. She looked bored, pissed off and as if it was frankly all rather beneath her. In fairness, I erroneously conflated characters from two different novels. Only in dreams, ladies and gents, only in dreams.
October 20, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Last night I dreamt that I was giving Emma Raducanu a lecture about the novels of Nigel Balchin. She looked bored, pissed off and as if it was frankly all rather beneath her. In fairness, I erroneously conflated characters from two different novels. Only in dreams, ladies and gents, only in dreams.
OTD in 1945, Nigel Balchin’s Mine Own Executioner first appeared. A riveting thriller, it is also a highly readable account of 1940s psychiatric practice. Back in print for the first time in decades, click the link to discover how to buy this fine novel.
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/mine-o...
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/mine-o...
September 26, 2025 at 9:25 AM
OTD in 1945, Nigel Balchin’s Mine Own Executioner first appeared. A riveting thriller, it is also a highly readable account of 1940s psychiatric practice. Back in print for the first time in decades, click the link to discover how to buy this fine novel.
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/mine-o...
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/mine-o...
Bloody Surrey! They have the most fans, the best ground, the biggest squad, the most money and get the most extensive media coverage and now they get the best weather too, no one else playing as much as a single over all day!
September 15, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Bloody Surrey! They have the most fans, the best ground, the biggest squad, the most money and get the most extensive media coverage and now they get the best weather too, no one else playing as much as a single over all day!
It's been a real struggle for Rob Jones this season but I'm delighted he came good today with a vital hundred, anchoring a big run chase for Worcestershire in company with his skipper. Well played, gents!
August 22, 2025 at 7:42 PM
It's been a real struggle for Rob Jones this season but I'm delighted he came good today with a vital hundred, anchoring a big run chase for Worcestershire in company with his skipper. Well played, gents!
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It’s warm, it’s holiday time and these four Nigel Balchin novels make perfect holiday reading: entertaining and easy to read yet also intelligent and jam-packed with clear-minded insight into the human condition.
Buy online or order from UK bookshops.
It’s warm, it’s holiday time and these four Nigel Balchin novels make perfect holiday reading: entertaining and easy to read yet also intelligent and jam-packed with clear-minded insight into the human condition.
Buy online or order from UK bookshops.
August 21, 2025 at 9:56 AM
*Please RT and/or like this post*
It’s warm, it’s holiday time and these four Nigel Balchin novels make perfect holiday reading: entertaining and easy to read yet also intelligent and jam-packed with clear-minded insight into the human condition.
Buy online or order from UK bookshops.
It’s warm, it’s holiday time and these four Nigel Balchin novels make perfect holiday reading: entertaining and easy to read yet also intelligent and jam-packed with clear-minded insight into the human condition.
Buy online or order from UK bookshops.
Just come back from watching the film 'Weapons'. Until it descended into overfamiliar horror tropes towards the end, I thought it was a highly enjoyable blend of Stephen King and David Lynch: creepy and unsettling.
August 16, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Just come back from watching the film 'Weapons'. Until it descended into overfamiliar horror tropes towards the end, I thought it was a highly enjoyable blend of Stephen King and David Lynch: creepy and unsettling.
Front cover of Nigel Balchin's 1962 novel Seen Dimly Before Dawn, which I erroneously omitted from my previous post.
August 4, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Front cover of Nigel Balchin's 1962 novel Seen Dimly Before Dawn, which I erroneously omitted from my previous post.
Although this book was originally published on 18 January 1962, it is the quintessential 'school summer holiday novel'.
For full details of this mesmeric book, and to find out how to buy a brand-new copy packed with additional features, click this link:
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/seen-d...
For full details of this mesmeric book, and to find out how to buy a brand-new copy packed with additional features, click this link:
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/seen-d...
Seen Dimly Before Dawn – The Nigel Balchin Website
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk
August 4, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Although this book was originally published on 18 January 1962, it is the quintessential 'school summer holiday novel'.
For full details of this mesmeric book, and to find out how to buy a brand-new copy packed with additional features, click this link:
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/seen-d...
For full details of this mesmeric book, and to find out how to buy a brand-new copy packed with additional features, click this link:
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/seen-d...
So Donald Trump's son is saying his father has done more for golf than anyone. Er, really? More than Ben Hogan? Sam Snead? Jack Nicklaus? Gary Player? Tom Watson? Sevvy? Tiger Woods? I mean, I could go on ("No" - Ed.).
July 30, 2025 at 4:30 PM
So Donald Trump's son is saying his father has done more for golf than anyone. Er, really? More than Ben Hogan? Sam Snead? Jack Nicklaus? Gary Player? Tom Watson? Sevvy? Tiger Woods? I mean, I could go on ("No" - Ed.).
Congratulations to Tadej Pogacar and all the riders who finished the Tour de France today. Not quite a vintage edition but much to enjoy as always. How will I cope next year without ITV4?!
July 27, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Congratulations to Tadej Pogacar and all the riders who finished the Tour de France today. Not quite a vintage edition but much to enjoy as always. How will I cope next year without ITV4?!
These two newly published books by gentlemen that I follow on social media have recently arrived from Amazon. I look forward to reading them both before the summer is over.
July 21, 2025 at 12:01 PM
These two newly published books by gentlemen that I follow on social media have recently arrived from Amazon. I look forward to reading them both before the summer is over.
This was terrific. I've read Baron's wartime trilogy as well but this is a class apart. An excellent character study, as well as a fine evocation of time and place. Highly recommended. A very nice new edition from Faber although a glossary of Jewish slang would have been a valuable addition!
July 11, 2025 at 10:53 AM
This was terrific. I've read Baron's wartime trilogy as well but this is a class apart. An excellent character study, as well as a fine evocation of time and place. Highly recommended. A very nice new edition from Faber although a glossary of Jewish slang would have been a valuable addition!
Make that Vingegaard, for any spelling fans out there. I blame predictive text, as always.
July 9, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Make that Vingegaard, for any spelling fans out there. I blame predictive text, as always.
I hope this TT (like Pog's at the Dauphine) was just a blip for Vinegaard and not indicative of his general form. Although I would prefer Pog to win, I want a good contest, not a walkover.
July 9, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I hope this TT (like Pog's at the Dauphine) was just a blip for Vinegaard and not indicative of his general form. Although I would prefer Pog to win, I want a good contest, not a walkover.
It's depressing that England can just hand a Test match to an opponent through a toxic mix of arrogance and stupidity and by treating the sport with far less respect than my Sunday afternoon village team used to. Win the toss and bat FFS!
July 6, 2025 at 9:11 PM
It's depressing that England can just hand a Test match to an opponent through a toxic mix of arrogance and stupidity and by treating the sport with far less respect than my Sunday afternoon village team used to. Win the toss and bat FFS!
Three short journeys taken by public transport in last 10 days have all been utterly screwed up by a plethora of different problems. This country is broken, isn't it, and can't cope with any sort of warm weather? That said, I certainly won't be voting Reform!
July 3, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Three short journeys taken by public transport in last 10 days have all been utterly screwed up by a plethora of different problems. This country is broken, isn't it, and can't cope with any sort of warm weather? That said, I certainly won't be voting Reform!
Anyone else in southern Britain bored with this heat and pining for the low temperatures and persistent drizzle of February?
July 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Anyone else in southern Britain bored with this heat and pining for the low temperatures and persistent drizzle of February?
Reposted by Derek Collett
Balchin, once a household name, is a supernaturally gifted novelist and, thanks to Derek Collett's tireless efforts, remains in print with this and other beautifully-edited volumes
June 27, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Balchin, once a household name, is a supernaturally gifted novelist and, thanks to Derek Collett's tireless efforts, remains in print with this and other beautifully-edited volumes