John Burnside was one of those rare prolific writers whose quality and care was not diminished by the apparent ease with which words arrived. His life’s work is like a dark, glittering,... Read more »
Ten authors nominated for this year’s Polari prizes, a set of UK awards celebrating LGBTQ+ literature, have withdrawn from the awards over the longlisting of John Boyne, who has described himself as... Read more »
The extent of John le Carré’s meticulous research and attention to detail are among insights into his working methods that will be revealed when the master of spy thrillers’ private archive goes... Read more »
Motherhood is a state of continuous loss that is meant to culminate when the dependent baby becomes an independent adult. Joan Didion survived this, as many mothers have, by keeping constant watch... Read more »
The old pond full of flags and fenced aroundWith trees and bushes trailing to the groundThe water reeds are all around the brinkAnd one clear place where cattle go to drinkFrom year... Read more »
‘It’s a drag, isn’t it,” Paul McCartney told reporters quizzing him the day after John Lennon’s murder, a soundbite as dispiritingly muted, even callous, as his reaction to his mother’s death when... Read more »
Fighting the culture wars doesn’t come cheap these days. Tickets for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference at the ExCeL Centre in London cost a discounted £450. A bargain said the... Read more »
In Drear Nighted December In drear nighted December,Too happy, happy tree,Thy branches ne’er rememberTheir green felicity —The north cannot undo themWith a sleety whistle through themNor frozen thawings glue themFrom budding at... Read more »
A new bronze sculpture of the English Romantic poet John Keats will be unveiled next week, close to his birthplace in Moorgate in the City of London. The sculpture by British artist... Read more »