Liz Hodgkinson: author and journalist.

In 2024, all my grandchildren have grown up.  Arthur is out at work with a Financial Technology company, and Otto is in his final year at art school Granddaughter Delilah graduated with a First, and is now embarking on a journalistic career. Pearl, my other granddaughter, is in her third year at art school and the youngest, Henry, goes to Manchester University in October to read ancient history.

I am a regular columnist for The Lady, and also review books for them.  I also write for The Oldie, the Daily Mail, several women’s magazines and websites and online publications such as The Conservative Woman.

I am now on Wikipedia.  The entry was created by web expert Ian Hudson, a sort of cousin.

Tom’s wry, witty and informative book, Business for Bohemians, was published in October 2016 by Penguin.  The launch was held at the Marx Memorial Library in Clerkenwell. Workers and idlers of the world unite!

Liz’s latest published books are:

A Mink Coat in St Neots: My Mother’s Flower Shop and the Mystery of a Wealthy Russian princess, published November 2024 by Mount Orleans Press.  More details are in the books section on this site. 

Dadi Janki: A Century of Service is the biography of the now 100-year old founder of the Brahma Kumaris outside India. It is the story of one of the most unusual spiritual leaders of our time and takes the form of an affectionate appraisal of Dadi’s special qualities by those who have been inspired by her over the years.  Published by Ocean Publishing in India in November 2015 and by BKIS in January 2016.

From A Girl to a Man: How Laura Became Michael, is also the story of a remarkable individual.  Born a biologically normal girl, Laura Dillon went to St Anne’s College, Oxford, in the 1930s and in the 1940s, had a series of pioneering operations to live as a man.  Believed to be the very first person ever to change sex by means of hormonal and surgical treatment, Laura re-registered as a man in 1944.  Michael later trained as a doctor, became heir to a title and ended his days as a Buddhist monk in India. His story is certainly unusual, and there is a poignant love story there as well. Liz was given unique access to Dillon’s intimate letters, here published for the first time.  The book was published by Quartet in October 2015.

The book was used as the main source material for the Channel 4 documentary, The Sex Change Spitfire Ace, which told the intertwining story of two very early transsexuals, Michael Dillon and Roberta Cowell, and the courageous surgeon who performed the then science-fiction procedures, Sir Harold Gillies.  Liz was a consultant on the programme which was first broadcast on October 24, 2015. The documentary is now being sold by BBC Worldwide to many territories, so should spread the word about these brave and unusual pioneers. A play based on this book, The Strange Case of Dr Dillon, was premiered in Brighton and transferred to the Camden People’s Theatre in July 2024.  A three-part TV drama series is now being planned.

The paperback of Will’s family memoir, The House is Full of Yogis, is out.  We are bracing ourselves for another round of embarrassing publicity.  Will is surprised none of us have sued him for libel, but we are all laughing too much to take any offence.  Will’s new book, The Street-Level Superstar, is published in September 2024 by Nine Eight books.  It is a biography of Lawrence, the pop star you have probably never heard of.

Memoirs of a Party Animal: Seven Decades in Animal Welfare, by Angela Humphery and Liz Hodgkinson is also available, price £7.99. Former travel writer Angela, 93, has just retired after nearly 80 years of raising funds for animals in distress all over the world, and this is her story.  Angela has dedicated her life to ending the ill-treatment of animals, whether they are working animals, pets, farm animals, animals shipped from one country to another in packed crates, animals force-fed to produce foie gras, or circus, zoo or safari animals. From rhinos and elephants to monkeys, overbred dogs and bears bred for their bile, Angela has drawn attention to their plight and ceaselessly campaigned to end animal cruelty wherever it is found.  The book is illustrated with many wonderful pictures of the animals she has helped to rescue and given a better life.  Available from Amazon and Lulu and some bookshops. A heartwarming read.

 

Liz’s e-book, Happy to be Single, is out and available on Amazon. In an age where everybody seems desperate to pair up, we have forgotten that there are immense pleasures and advantages in living the single life.  This book, first written 20 years ago, is now issued in e-format - which was not available in those days—making it accessible to everybody at a very low price.

Obsessive Love, Liz’s second ebook, is out and can also be found on Amazon. This tells the true story of Liz’s unrequited love affair with a glamorous older student at university, and also analyses the agonising phenomenon of obsessive love, how and why it happens and what you can do about it.  The book also describes some famous cases of obsession, from Charlotte Bronte to poet Kathleen Raine and writer Elizabeth Smart, who were all obsessed by charismatic men who did not return their love.  A must-read.

For more information about these and other titles, visit endeavourpress.com More of Liz’s existing titles were published in e-format during 2013.

Liz’s coffee table book/ art book/ illustrated biography, Alex Williams: The Survival of an Artist, was published by Quartet Books on May 2nd, 2012.  This intimate, revealing biography tells the story of a versatile and accomplished artist whose work deserves to be much better known. To find out more, visit our dedicated website: http://www.survivalofanartist.com  To order, go to http://www.quartetbooks.co.uk and click on ‘New titles’. Liz and Alex also have some copies to sign and personalise with an original little drawing for customers.  Contact Liz via this website or Alex at alexwilliams.net

Liz’s book, Why Women Believe in God, was published on October 26 2012 by John Hunt Publishing. The publishers’ advance blurb says this book will entertain, educate and annoy in equal amounts.  Copies available on Amazon or from most bookshops.  Also available as an ebook.

Her latest property book, the 5th edition of The Complete Guide to Investing in Property, was published by Kogan Page in April 2010.

Liz has written more than 50 books on a wide variety of subjects including biography, autobiography, health, personal growth, property and relationships. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages.

She has worked on four national newspapers: The Sunday People, Sun, Daily Mail and Times, and continues to contribute to many publications and websites. She is currently writing for the Daily Mail’s Femail pages, The Telegraph, House Beautiful, The Lady magazine and Woman magazine.  To read Liz’s articles online in the Daily Mail, go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk and type ‘Liz Hodgkinson’ into the search panel.  Many of Liz’s Telegraph articles can be found in the Goodlife section online.

Liz’s book Ladies of the Street, published by Revel Barker in 2008, is an entertaining history of the pioneer women who fought their way into Fleet Street, in the good old days.  This book is now published as an ebook by Lume Press, a digital publishing company.

A regular broadcaster on radio and TV, Liz is also in demand as a public speaker, particularly on ‘glass ceiling’ and women’s issues. She is now writing about getting older from a positive point of view and to counteract the mainly negative images of old - or older - people. Liz has also been recording her attempts—so far unsuccessful - to find a new life partner; somebody who will be a worthy successor to her late partner John Sandilands and former husband Neville Hodgkinson.  Latest, August 2024: no luck so far.

Those who have enjoyed the brilliantly witty John Sandilands site and have not been able to access it lately, will be delighted to know that it is now available to view as a separate section on this site.  John, who died in 2004, and who was Liz’s partner for 13 years, was one of the funniest writers of his generation so for those who are new to his work, prepare yourselves for a real treat.

When not writing, Liz enjoys going to the theatre, art exhibitions, keeping fit, chatting and gossiping, eating out in restaurants, and is an avid reader.  She tries to keep up with technology but with limited success.

Her new book, A COVID DIARY, will be published in October 2024 by UK Publishing. Details to come later.  She is also working on the life story of Ivan Twigden, a childhood friend whose astonishing rags-to-riches story makes fascinating reading, and this will also be published by Mount Orleans Press, sometime in 2025.