Last night I dreamed I had won a scholarship to study for a year at Christ Church, Oxford. In the dream, I was very excited, and devised a plan that would make it so much easier to write my book. I would find a way to attend one of Carroll's maths lectures, and then afterwards I'd invite him out for a cup of coffee in one of the many coffee bars and restaurants that now fill Oxford. Over a cappuccino, I would see if I could confirm any of my ideas about what sort of man he was.

I was really excited about this, and it was only when I woke up that I realised the tiny flaw in my brilliant plan.

Illustration today is a photoshopped version of a wonderful Victorian screen my friend Jane has. Someone in about 1880 cut out innumerable steel engravings from magazines and created a truly dreamlike and mysterious landscape. In reality the screen is dark brown with varnish, and would not make a good photo, which is why I messed around with the colours.

It's wonderful to look at for hours as it is full of strange landscapes, stories and characters. Whatever Victorian lady made it was a genius.

Jane's screen