I enjoy painting and drawing in various media including acrylics. Some of my works can be seen here (paintings) and here (Egyptian artefacts).

My favourite artists are Monet, Van Gogh, various other impressionists, Pre-Raphaelites, Modernists such as Picasso, Dufy and Matisse, and some of the colourful Renaissance painters like Raphael, Botticelli, and Da Vinci. I'm also a fan of ancient art, especially Egyptian and Minoan, and Far Eastern art.

I play classical guitar, in a semi-classical style, though not that well, and pop songs with friends, including works by the Police, the Stone Roses, the Smiths, REM, the Jam, the Beatles, and the Monkees.

My own favourite music, however, is classical, and my favourite composers are Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Stravinsky. I'm also a big fan of dinosaur rock, especially Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Rush. Sorry. 

Over the last four years I have written a children's novel, The King Herself, which I am now working on getting published. For more details click here. This is my dream career, although it is likely it will remain no more than a dream.

My own favourite writers are Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Conan Doyle, and Robert Heinlein. My favourite books are the Brothers Karamazov, War and Peace, Wuthering Heights, Time Enough for Love (Heinlein), and The Lord of the Rings.

I taught history in the Owl School in Washington DC (now defunct) for two years, 1999-2001, and fell in love with it. I'm fascinated by all periods and places, but for some reason ancient history above all, perhaps because of the mystery attached to it, and the lack of tedious economic detail. My specialist subject is ancient Egypt, because of the research I've done for my book, The King Herself.

Anyway, a knowledge of history is useful in pub quizzes.

Not very original, but I love to travel. When I do travel I like to see places of historical interest, especially ancient sites. Some of my favourite places visited so far are Egypt (one of the most amazing experiences of my life; see more in the 'life history' section), Corfu, Crete, the Rocky Mountains, New York, Paris, Tenerife (especially the crater), Catalonia, the Everglades, and the Lake District.

Hatshepsut's obelisk, 

Temple of Karnak

Click for bigger version

I am an avid film fan and try to watch good films as often as I can. Most of what comes out, however, is tripe, as is most of what is in the video shops, so I have to trawl carefully. I like classics and foreign films, and well-made blockbusters (looking forward to Superman Returns). Some of my favourite directors: Kurosawa (the best!), Hitchcock, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Eric Rohmer, Francois Truffaut, Federico Fellini, Frank Capra, William Wyler, Elia Kazan, Miyazaki, and Stanley Kubrick When I was ten my favourite film was Superman. Now, it's either On the Waterfront, Naked, It's a Wonderful Life, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Ran.

www.aintitcoolnews.com

 - good for gossip about upcoming films

This one has lapsed quite a bit, but while I was in the US, from 1994 to 2001, I was a pretty active member of Amnesty International and took part in a wide variety of activities to promote human rights in countries all around the world, including the US itself.

I also worked on a separate campaign to improve human rights in Burma, took part in marches against the IMF and World Bank, and tried to improve rights for gay employees at Penn State.

Amnesty International's Website

www.theonion.com

a pretty damn funny web site

This is not so much a hobby or interest as a necessary evil, but I do try to keep in shape mainly by swimming, but also a bit of jogging and cycling. I'm also a vegetarian, but more for ethical than health reasons. Life is sacred.

Finally I shall admit to being a Manchester United fan. This doesn't exactly keep me fit, but it belongs in this section as much as any other.