Rob Donovan was educated at Dartford Grammar School. From there he won a scholarship to St Catherine's, Oxford reading History. His doctorate was awarded for 'Drink in Victorian Norwich' (2003). 'The Road to Corbyn' (2016) is his 21st century reworking of John Bunyan's Christian classic 'The Pilgrim's Progress'. 'Dying to Know - Running through a Pandemic' is his latest work and was published by Matador in February 2022. His next book 'Mine to Die' brings to life the history of Cornish mining and will be published in February 2024. He contributes blogposts regularly at robdonovan.blogspot.co.uk.
DYING TO KNOW - RUNNING THROUGH A PANDEMIC (2022) by Rob Donovan DYING TO KNOW WHY THE UNTHINKABLE HAS HAPPENED WHY MORE THAN 150,000 LIVES HAVE BEEN SACRIFICED I am a runner with a special local circuit. One and three-quarter miles up to the top of the hill at Little Trevalgan, within the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall - and then back down again. 3.5 miles for the free flow of thoughts. And this is my literary device. You, the reader, are my companion as I run. You are privy to the thoughts that bubble up from my subconscious. What you read is, in part, autobiographical. You are also able, like me, to delve into the bole in my magic tree to access the fruits of research into matters that need further investigation. A touch of magical realism does not come amiss at the best of times - but this run of mine is being completed in the worst of times. I am running in a pandemic. I need to know more about how the world has become gripped by a virus that is proving so deadly. Why are so many dying before their time? You share my journey of discovery in the realms of politics, history, economics and science over the first year of this pandemic. And you also share the photographic images that help bring even more life to my words and thoughts.
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