Sunshine, By Robert Mighall
The perfect beach book, as long as your preferred resort is Serifos rather than Scarborough, Sunshine is a counterblast to The Cloudspotter's Guide. Mighall explores the heliophilic tendency in English culture from Philip Sidney (whose association of sun and love is likened to the Manic Street Preachers) to, unexpectedly, George Orwell.
A shame he overlooks PG Wodehouse, whose Elysian comedies almost always take place in a cloud-free setting. Mighall cites the sun in Wordsworth, Donovan and the Beatles, though he omits Lennon's rhythmically brilliant critique of UK weather: "If the sun don't come, you get a tan from standing in the British rain."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies