Books
Spare – Is Harry’s book another step in the road to a United Republic?
"It is possible, therefore, to feel intensely sorry for Harry, treated as he has been, without forgiving him for this very public falling out with the nation."
Things Forough Farrokhzad taught me
"She taught me never to be ashamed of living a bold life"
Why Isn’t Dystopian Fiction Fun Anymore?
"I wonder if the dystopian novels that we read...are really so far off from our own reality"
Irmgard Keun’s normal superwomen
Lori Latour reviews the life and work of the 20th century German novelist Irmgard Keun.
“The world outside our window”: Musings on Marvel
It was recently announced that Penguin Classics would be publishing special editions of certain...
Spare – Is Harry’s book another step in the road to a United Republic?
"It is possible, therefore, to feel intensely sorry for Harry, treated as he has been, without forgiving him for this very public falling out with the nation."
Why Isn’t Dystopian Fiction Fun Anymore?
"I wonder if the dystopian novels that we read...are really so far off from our own reality"
Irmgard Keun’s normal superwomen
Lori Latour reviews the life and work of the 20th century German novelist Irmgard Keun.
“The world outside our window”: Musings on Marvel
It was recently announced that Penguin Classics would be publishing special editions of certain Marvel comic books. The comics will be part of a...
In conversation with Francesca Tacchi
Any book that begins with the sentence “Every day is a good day to kill Nazis” is bound to catch my interest. Luckily for...
Netflix’s Newest Sweetheart
Originally posted as a webcomic series on Tumblr in 2019, Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper became an instant hit. It has been adored internationally for its...
Maxim Biller and Ukraine: The resignation of a German-Jewish author?
I am well aware that for the sake of switching off from university, or from the cruel news about Ukraine, it is better to...
Ismat Chughtai on Indian female experiences
The Quilt and Other Stories is a 1994 compilation of short stories by Ismat Chughtai (1915-1991), a prolific writer of 20th-century India. She occupied...
Review – Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention
a review of the book 'Stolen Focus' by Johann Hari
Rubbish representation in schools, syllabuses and beyond
But it’s not good enough to leave it to often privileged tutors, canon-compilers and Education Secretaries to dictate which texts we study. Time and time again, they have failed to achieve even the remotest degree of representation, a damning outcome in a subject which is so linked to identity and the self. The texts we study at school and beyond should be chosen and shaped by the diverse populations reading them.
The revival of the print book
I think there’s just something special about holding a book in your hands, something unique and timeless that isn’t replicated in a e-book.
Dystopian fiction: comforting or terrifying?
In the cultural moment of the pandemic it may be an attractive idea to compare present society to fictional dystopias. The sense of fear, the limits imposed on people’s rights, the ubiquity of screens, widespread surveillance, the spin tactics of the press, and the hypocrisy of leading political figures are all features of a dystopia.