Good old William Blake. If the vision-seeing, prophetic poetry writing, mildly bonkers poet and artist were still alive today, he would be a mighty 25...

It's heartening for a young writer when the Chief Rabbi of your country writes a column responding to your book, and says some kind things about it - so thanks are in order to Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks for using my book as a springboard for his discussion in the Huff Post on the deficiencies of Stoicism as a philosophy for life.

In 1918, Kafka wrote about the early kibbutzim in Palestine, arguing there should be no legal courts - "Palestine needs earth (...) but it does not need lawyers". Until Israel realizes world Jewry and their cultural assets are not automatically property of the Jewish state, and removes its lawyers from this sorry tale - the world will continue to be starved of a true literary great's work.

Last Wednesday was the press night for my play, Posh, which presents a raucous evening with the Riot Club, an elite Oxford dining society. It's the first of my plays to make it to the West End, and therefore A Big Deal...

The first time I wrote historical fiction I had no idea what I was taking on. Even now, with one historical novel under my belt, and with a second on the way, I am filled with admiration for anyone who can craft a good period narrative. Of all the literary genres, historical fiction must be the toughest.

The Jewish festival of Hanukah, which starts today night, is well known because it falls round about the same time as Christmas. In religious terms it's a minor festival; in 21st century cultural terms it is possibly the most famous of Jewish holidays.

In Israel's thoroughly modern society, women stand at the head of industries and are even the current leaders of the two main political parties. This country currently has a woman heading the supreme court and has had the famous Golda Meir for a prime minister decades ago. But the civilised nature of this society is at breaking point.