Latest Stories
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Flying reindeer and hallucinations in Lapland
Do we need to know where our myths come from? As Christmas Day approaches, we examine the mysterious origins of that much-beloved, white-bearded, reindeer-flying, gift-giver: Santa Claus.
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Hidden meaning of The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Is it literature or just a great story? The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr will become a TV film, with an all-star cast, this Christmas. Critics say it is a powerfully symbolic tale.
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Margaret Atwood joint winner of Booker Prize
Is Margaret Atwood a prophet? She seems to have foretold #MeToo, seen the climate crisis coming and predicted the rise of Trump. Yet she insists she sees only the present, not the future.
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Angry and alone, ‘Mad King’ Trump reigns
Is Donald Trump having a meltdown? After the US president unleashed his fury on Twitter, one Washington Post columnist argues that Trump’s demented rage echoes Shakespeare’s mad King Lear.
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Apocalypse could return us to Middle Ages
Is it wrong to scare people with visions of doom? Britain’s best thriller-writer, Robert Harris, warns that our hyper-advanced civilisation could be set back 500 years by a sudden catastrophe.
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Anne Frank: Portrait of an icon as a young woman
Should we all keep a diary? An important part of Anne Frank’s writing is that she captures so much of what it is to be a teenager, even with secret pages musing on puberty and prostitutes.
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1984 at 70: Still relevant says Orwell’s son
Even after a lifetime, can a classic still have a message? Few novels have had such an effect, with ‘Big Brother’, ‘newspeak’ and ‘thoughtcrime’ now firmly embedded in the English language.
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Climate change, #MeToo and Game of Thrones
Blood. Ice. Death. Fire. Revenge. Last night, after eight years on our screens, the epic fantasy series finally reached its end. But what was Game of Thrones really about?
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World Book Day celebrates pure joy of reading
To quote Jane Austen, “there is no enjoyment like reading!” It is one of life’s purest delights, and it comes with health benefits too. But should you read for pleasure or self-improvement?
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Million-dollar author caught in web of lies
Dan Mallory, writer of the bestselling thriller The Woman in the Window, has admitted to lying about having brain cancer — one of many deceptions he used to boost his career.
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The father and son who survived Auschwitz
This Sunday is Holocaust Memorial Day. A new book tells the story of two remarkable survivors: a father and son who stuck together in concentration camps for six horrific years…
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BuzzFeed bombshell fuels Trump media war
In an explosive article, Donald Trump has been accused of obstructing justice — sparking calls for impeachment. However, officials have rejected the claim, while Trump called it a “disgrace”.
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Furious conservatives attack #MeToo Gillette
Gillette has released a bold new advert attacking “toxic” masculinity, sparking fierce debate. Some say the ad is insulting and wrong, while others praise its progressive message.
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Ze, toxic, single-use: words that defined 2018
What do they tell us about the year? Environmental catastrophe, extreme politics and gender relations… The dictionaries’ words of 2018 reveal a world battling division and destruction.
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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.