‘What’s in a name?’ goes the familiar quotation from Romeo and Juliet. Obviously quite a lot, as a name is the basis for our identities as individuals, brands or organisations. As Ruth Ozeki put it in her novel My Year…read more

We demand individuality and memorability from our quotations." Very few of you will have failed to notice that I like to use quotations. I like them for their own sake, because someone has said something enlightening, true or amusing, and…read more

The trouble with words is you never know whose mouths they’ve been in"Dennis Potter Usually adverts come one at a time and are soon forgotten. But when I was first writing The Invisible Grail, back in 2002, I arrived at…read more

Short words suit swift actions...But it can be a boring, monotonous diet for those having to take these words in." Short simple words are the demands of the modern chief executive. Short words suit swift actions. Simple words fit clear…read more

The sound of your words will tell you a lot – a stumble might point out the word you’re not sure about, a pause for breath might tell you when the sentence is too long." Rise to your feet and…read more

Once I selected poems for all the members of the company where I was working. I invited them to live with the poem, reading it regularly, allowing meaning to inform them over time. I gave this poem by William Carlos…read more