Tana French’s The Wych Elm shows the problem with the “literary” thriller
French’s attempt to elevate crime fiction into literature leaves the reader in a near-constant state of befuddlement.
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Diderot: pedagogue to power
The French philosopher Diderot was a hero of the Enlightenment who counselled Catherine the Great. Wisely, she ignored his advice.
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Richard Sorge, the soviet agent who changed history
Stalin and the seat-of-his-pants spy.
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Melvyn Bragg: “I’m not letting my past go”
Bragg is one of our most industrious public intellectuals, but his inner life is replete with mystery and devotion
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Why are we so worried about “Instapoetry”?
The legitimacy of “Instapoetry” has long been fiercely debated: but the rise of the term has sparked a fragmented critical conversation.
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Elif Shafak’s Diary: The retreat of liberal democracy, a night of Irish spirit, and Istanbul’s undesirables
It is a sign of the times that I find myself defending liberal values in London, the city that welcomed me…
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Like money and power, second chances are never distributed equally
The bad decision made by a black person who is poor is has very different consequences to the bad decision…
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David Nott: the war doctor living on a knife edge
Risk and excitement drive many surgeons, but most don’t choose to operate in the world’s most dangerous places.
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