Leader: After the storm
Severe floods are becoming the new norm in Britain.
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The God issue
Behind Saudi Arabia’s bluster is a country that feels under grave threat
A letter from Bahrain.
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Jeremy Corbyn’s reshuffle gives him the advantage in Labour’s internal war
The leader has demonstrated to shadow cabinet members that they will serve on his terms.
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The Micawber Syndrome
In this personal and provocative piece, Joe Haines, Harold Wilson’s press secretary, argues that the Labour moderates cannot “wait…
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Momentum has defied the odds and will continue to grow
Labour should be participatory and campaign oriented. This isn’t just a product; it’s a movement.
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This is what global warming looks like: the new age of flooding
The “one-off” floods of July 2007 have inaugurated a new era of extreme weather events – and they’re only…
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How a 217.1 kilometre run became a national bonding ritual in Japan
The Hakone Ekiden, which ran on 2 and 3 January, has a lot to tell us about the strengths…
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How to convince a Labour doubter to stay in the party
This isn’t a crude argument about the balance of forces in any future leadership contest. It’s about what we can…
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The way to save Test cricket? Make it the vinyl to T20’s streaming
A Test match is not just sport, it is a sustaining way to spend the whole day – and…
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Commons confidential: Öpik or Benn?
Unacknowledged Labour, Farron’s Volvo – and a case of mistaken identity.
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Barbed wire? It’s a punishment for pre-criminals
It’s oft remarked that Britain is the most CCTV surveilled country in the world but I wonder if we…
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The roles we play: on the redemptive power of games
How a fantasy geek with polyhedral dice and no playmates accidentally created a global video-gaming phenomenon.
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The triumphs and errors of Éamon de Valera
Ronan Fanning’s Éamon de Valera: a Will to Power reveals a titan of Irish politics.
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It’s the little round spectacles in War and Peace that push it in the direction of greatness
War and Peace is so luxurious, it must have a budget even bigger than Alan Yentob’s taxi bill. Plus: Beowulf.
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At a glossy hotel in Barcelona, I found the unicorn of pornography
In the presence of multiple excellent fabrics, a young man worshipped an older woman with his body; the only…
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The strangest thing about losing my father is realising my new place in the family
The business is wholly discombobulating, rather like a drug experience absolutely without any of the good bits.
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How to make the most of winter walking
A good winter walk can be found almost anywhere, and the rules are few – but worth observing.
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The Hateful Eight is a waste of our time – and Quentin Tarantino’s talents
Tarantino’s once-sharp ear has turned to tin lately. Plus: The Revenant reviewed.
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I Love Dick is an assault on power – especially the oblivious kind
At the core of Chris Kraus’ I Love Dick is the question: what does it mean to be an intelligent and ambitious…
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What happens if you find the people who owned your second-hand books?
Second-Hand Stories by Josh Spero follows the author as he tracks down the previous owners of his books.
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In love and war: the life and work of the Welsh writer, pacifist and soldier Alun Lewis
Morlais by Alun Lewis and Alun, Gweno and Freda by John Pikoulis reviewed.
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A happy day – at Spurs with my son, a win and a sweet pink sticker
Taking my son to the match on Boxing Day was going down memory lane. But who can afford season tickets…
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Puritan v populist: the battle of the books world
D J Taylor’s The Prose Factory: Literary Life in England Since 1918 walks the tightrope between two sides of a culture…
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Liz and I begged around for condoms and headed into the darkened room
“Would a glove do?” I asked Liz. “Maybe,” she said. “But they aren’t usually stretchy enough.”
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Blair, Barnes and big reads: the books to look out for in 2016
From political autobiography to the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, our culture editor rounds up the most interesting books…
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Could we turn the Sahara into a giant solar factory?
The Inquiry: Should We Solar Panel the Sahara? on the BBC World Service.
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Stiff upper lips: an English history of emotion
Two new books chart our changing feelings around feelings.
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