Culture
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This could be the most expensive painting ever
Can a painting really be worth $80 million? Today, David Hockney’s Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) is set to become the most...
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The superhero whose comics took over the world
What did Stan Lee teach us about life? The mastermind behind Marvel’s success has died aged 95. From Spider-Man to the Hulk, he helped to create many of the world’s most beloved superheroes.
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‘Attenborough has betrayed the living world’
Is this criticism fair? Environmentalist George Monbiot has denounced Sir David Attenborough, claiming his films do more harm than good. Attenborough’s new series,...
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Dispute over bleak message in new war poem
Do we learn anything from history? As Remembrance Day approaches, poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s new poem about the First World War suggests we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.
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Curses and crystals: meet the modern witches
Should we take witchcraft seriously? A surprising number of young women are becoming witches, and not just for Halloween. What does magic and mysticism have to offer the modern world?
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‘No one has ever read anything like this before’
Are book prizes bad for writing? Milkman, a challenging work about sexual harassment in Northern Ireland, has won the Man Booker Prize. Some writers say the award is...
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Bad blood: Storm over Swift’s political post
Should Taylor Swift stay out of politics? The singer’s decision to publicly endorse two Democrats in the US midterm elections triggered an outpouring of both praise and scorn.
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Lunacy! Moon movie accused of insulting US
Is First Man anti-American? The film, which comes out today, tells the story of Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the Moon – but does not show him...
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Nation strictly split over the cha-cha-cheats
Should Seann Walsh have been booted off Strictly? BBC bosses confirm that he and Katya Jones will perform on Saturday — despite their “drunken kiss” sparking a national...
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The 13th Doctor: ‘change is nerve-wracking!’
How much does representation matter? Last night, Doctor Who returned to BBC One. For the first time in 55 years, the time travelling, two-hearted,...
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‘Let me live, love, and say it well...’
Is poetry more vital than ever? A survey has declared Sylvia Plath the most popular poet of all time among teenagers — ahead of William Shakespeare. Meanwhile, poetry readership is surging.
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‘Beauty or brains… I was blessed with both!’
Is self-esteem overrated? The Apprentice returns next week, and the candidates have been unveiled. As usual, they ooze extreme self-confidence: a...
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Booker Prize holds a mirror to our dark times
Can fiction change the world? Racism, injustice, ecological destruction — the Man Booker Prize shortlist has been unveiled, and the new novels paint a bleak picture of modern society.
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New Shakespeare play celebrates warrior queen
Is it brilliant or blasphemy? The ambitious production combines material from the Bard’s plays with fresh lines from playwright Jeanie O’Hare to tell the bloody history of Margaret of Anjou.
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Sesame Street insists its puppets are not gay
But should they be? After a former writer revealed that he thinks Bert and Ernie are more than just friends, studio chiefs clarified that the iconic duo “do not have a sexual orientation”.