Gifts for Readers and Writers

Jane Austen Pride and Peppermints
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With the festive season almost upon us, we decided to put together a wishlist of some of our favourite gift ideas for writers and readers from the Unemployed Philosophers' Guild. I've never met an author who didn't appreciate a quirky writing-related trinket or two, and here you'll find a range of clever gifts to suit any budget - from small items perfect for stocking fillers or Kris Kringle presents to something a little more substantial. 

These are affiliate links meaning that if you purchase something after clicking we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Funds raised will go towards supporting our blog and providing our contributors with a treat or two. (Did you know that we've been blogging about writing and editing for 14 years now? Our archives are well worth a poke around, while you're here.)

Alice in Wonderland Disappearing Cheshire Cat mug

'Well, I've often seen a cat without a grin,' thought Alice, 'but a grin without a cat is the most curious thing!' 

Was Lewis Carroll just extraordinarily imaginative or was he 'on something' when he wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? His characters are all a little on the crazy side, from the anxiously late White Rabbit to the psychopathic Queen of Hearts. The Cheshire Cat is one of the most enigmatic of the Wonderland residents. 

Pour any hot liquid into this mug and the cat disappears, leaving only his famous grin! It's great fun.

Lady Macbeth's Guest Soap
Try it in the MacBath...

'Out, damned spot!' 

The soap guaranteed to eradicate every trace of guilt your author friend might feel over the characters they've had to kill off. Works well on the blood of enemies, too (but you didn't hear that from us ;-) ) 

Jane Austen quotes small zipped bag/purse

This little bag or purse featuring quotes from Jane Austen novels is just the place to keep all the small things you need: a bottle of ink and a pen, a stack of letters tied with a ribbon, a needle and thread. Perfect for anyone who recognises that the small is not inevitably the trivial.

5 x 9 inch fully-lined pouch with an inner card pocket and a 2 inch gusset.

 

And, because writers can never have too many mugs...

...especially if they feature insults. Shakespearean insults:

Shakespeare Insults Mug

The Shakespearean Insults mug is covered with 30 of the Bard's funniest and most biting insults from his plays. Some of our favourites are: "Oh gull, O dolt, As ignorant as dirt", "Lump of foul deformity", and the chuckle-worthy "Elvish-mark'd abortive, rooting hog." 

Or how about a mug filled with the best first lines of classic (and not so classic) literature? The Great First Lines of Literature Mug features the opening lines of 24 of the greatest works from "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" to "Call me Ishmael".

And you can browse the whole range of UPG literature-related gifts here.

Finally, I'm utterly mesmerised by this one, for the serious science fiction reader or writer:

Einstein Relativity Wrist Watch

 

If you click through, you'll be able to see a clip of how the numbers rotate around the face of the watch! 

Einstein proved that as an object accelerates and approaches the speed of light, time actually slows down. According to the blurb on the website, this watch is able to keep accurate time up to 0.9973 Planck Units.

 

Although it's a little early, we wish you a very merry end of the year! May all your festivities be joyous.