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Oxford Castaways

7 07, 2015

Amazing public art in Oxford

By Sylvia Vetta|July 7th, 2015|Categories: China, Art & History, Oxford Castaways|0 Comments

It looks like Weimin He's insightful depictions of the development of the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter will  remain on display for 3 or 4 years. Take the  newly created short cut between Walton Street and Woodstock Road  and  you will see his

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7 07, 2015

The power of love is at the heart of the story of Icolyn Smith

By Sylvia Vetta|July 7th, 2015|Categories: Oxford Castaways|1 Comment

Often the people who are the most generous  are not  wealthy in terms of money. Icolyn is one of those.  Born to a subsistence farmer  in rural  Jamaica  she came to Oxford in 1965. Empathy  was all she had when she started

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10 06, 2015

Whose arrived on Oxtopia in 2015? Legs Larry Smith, Lady Carnarvon, Georgina Ferry and Aidan Meller are joined by Katie Read

By Sylvia Vetta|June 10th, 2015|Categories: Oxford Castaways|0 Comments

Tim Metcalfe’s apt title for this month’s castaway feature (June 2015) is ‘What Katie Did Next.’ The Katie in question is director and publicist Katie Read. At only 37 she already has  a string of achievements in the theatre. Now

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8 06, 2015

The launch of Stealing Dylan from Woodstock.

By Sylvia Vetta|June 8th, 2015|Categories: Oxford Castaways|0 Comments

 Artist and castaway, Weimin He's on the spot sketch of the launch of Stealing Dylan from Woodstock. Ray and Caroline Foulk asked me to compere their book launch on June 9 in Blackwell at 7-8pm. When I cast Ray away

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9 03, 2015

Georgina opens the door to Science and to the inspirational Dorothy Hodgkin

By Sylvia Vetta|March 9th, 2015|Categories: Oxford Castaways|1 Comment

Our March 2015 castaway is the author,broadcaster and journalist Georgina Ferry. Georgina is brilliant at communicating science and telling stories about scientists to non scientists. She is the biographer of Dorothy Hodgkin of whom she said, “She was the least

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5 02, 2015

Lady Fiona Carnarvon : the mistress of the real DowntonAbbey

By Sylvia Vetta|February 5th, 2015|Categories: Oxford Castaways|1 Comment

  Lady Fiona Carnarvon the mistress of the real Downton Abbey is my February 2015 castaway. I took a trip to Highclere Castle to interview her. She is an avid reader and writer. Her books tell the true stories of

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12 01, 2015

Nancy Hunt: declared ‘most inspirational woman’in UK Venus Awards

By Sylvia Vetta|January 12th, 2015|Categories: Oxford Castaways|1 Comment

Its official ! On Friday, Nancy Hunt was named ‘the most inspirational woman’ in the UK. The Venus Awards were established in 2011 to promote women in business.  In her category Nancy was recognised as the founder of the Nasio

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8 01, 2015

Meet the King of La-di-Dah: ‘Legs Larry Smith’

By Sylvia Vetta|January 8th, 2015|Categories: Oxford Castaways|1 Comment

George Harrison of the Beatles gave the name of ‘Legs' to my January 2015 castaway, Larry Smith of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. George also called him King of La-di- Dah and even wrote a song about him. He introduced

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14 10, 2014

Nancy Hunt challenges us to change the world for the better.

By Sylvia Vetta|October 14th, 2014|Categories: Oxford Castaways|1 Comment

Nancy Hunt was born in Kenya.  I urge you to read her inspirational story on the pdf below.Nancy was awarded the NatWest Venus prize for the most inspirational woman in Oxfordshire 2014. Of her mother she said, “You don’t have

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12 10, 2014

Sir Roger & Lady Moyra Bannister – Castaway

By Sylvia Vetta|October 12th, 2014|Categories: Biography, Oxford Castaways, The Oxford Times|Tags: Sir Roger Bannister, sub-four minute mile|0 Comments

Click the link below to view this article in its original format: Sir Roger and Lady Moyra Bannister - Castaway Sylvia Vetta talks to Sir Roger Bannister on the eve of the 57th anniversary of his record-breaking run at Oxford’s

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About the Author

As a writer Sylvia Vetta is best known in the Oxfordshire area for the 18 years she was a freelance writer on The Oxford Times and other magazines,  especially for her popular ‘Oxford Castaways’ series which gave her the opportunity to write the lives of  120 inspirational people from five continents. Her novels cross cultures but have impressive endorsements for their authenticity. ‘Brushstrokes in Time’ set in China and California wouldn’t have been possible without the three years she spent researching and interviewing Qu Leilei, a founder of the Stars Art Movement (Beijing 1979) who saved the life of the first leader of the Democracy Movement. It has been endorsed by China experts from Oxford, Harvard and Frankfurt and the poet Jenny Lewis says it is “Utterly mesmerising and unforgettable and among my top ten historical novels.”

‘Sculpting the Elephant’ set in Oxford and India, is close to her own life experience. Her Indian born partner Atam Vetta’s PhD was in Quantitative Genetics. She learned from him that each one of us is unique. Life has taught her that when you see your fellow human being as just that – a unique human being – and refrain from attaching labels you react with empathy. That is why she and one of her Oxford castaways, Nancy Mudenyo Hunt, have been able to co-author the novel ‘Not so Black and White’.

Recent Posts

  • Interviewing the castaways: the importance of asking open questions and then listening & lessons for would-be writers from Colin Dexter.
  • An important story for our world today. Ashoka was resposible for the religion we know as Buddhism but was forgotten for 1000 years.
  • David & Me.
  • Chinese New Year: My fiery reflections
  • Please say NOT IN MY NAME

Categories

  • Ai Weiwei
  • Antiques
  • Art
  • Ashoka
  • Biography
  • Buddhism
  • China, Art & History
  • Chris Patten
  • Colin Dexter
  • Cultural Appropriation
  • David Attenborough
  • Events
  • Gaza
  • History
  • India
  • Iran
  • Kennington
  • Kenya
  • Kyoto Prize
  • Letters to the press
  • Lost History
  • Madras Courier
  • Mixed relationships
  • Nalanda
  • Novels and short stories
  • Oxford
  • Oxford Castaways
  • Roger Bannister
  • Shepherd.com
  • The Bodleian library
  • The Oxford Times
  • The Stars ArtMovement
  • Ukraine

Links

  • Admin Login
  • Altitude Creative
  • Andrew Cohen
  • Claret Press
  • Drachenhaus Verlag
  • Essential Audiobooks
  • Friends of Kennington Library
  • Heather Rosser: OWG author
  • Kennington Overseas Aid
  • Love That Jewellery
  • Madras Courier
  • Nic Newman: editor & energy journalist
  • Oxford Castaways – Facebook
  • Oxford Ebooks
  • Oxford Indie Bookfair
  • Oxfordfolio
  • Qu Lei Lei
  • Shepherd .com
  • Shepherd Books
  • Shepherd/ Best Books
  • The Nasio Trust
  • The Oxford Indie BookFair
  • The Oxford Writers Group
  • Weimin He
  • Writers in Oxford
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