Latest Stories
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Satirists targeted for taking on the powerful
As Private Eye celebrates its 50th anniversary in the UK, French society has united to support firebombed satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Laughing at politics has a long and controversial...
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Shakespeare was Fakespeare, says new film
William Shakespeare is the author whose work has captivated us for centuries. Or did someone else, better educated and worldly, write his plays and poems – and is it for Hollywood to decide?
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Downton Abbey triumphs again in Hollywood
The new series of the acclaimed TV drama launched this weekend to a rapturous welcome from critics, public and Hollywood showbiz moguls. What's the magic?
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Texting is the new poetry, says UK’s poet laureate
2 txt or nt 2 txt, tht is th Q. According to poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, the abbreviated messages shuttling between our mobiles might just be the stuff of Shakespeare.
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Joy and controversy over book and music awards
It's awards season, and the worlds of literature and music are celebrating and bickering over the Mercury and Man Booker prize contenders. Does winning matter, beyond boosting sales and careers?
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Born to argue: the new theory of rational thought
A new theory has caused a storm among psychologists by suggesting that rational thought is a way to win fights and that faulty reasoning may actually be a good thing.
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The fall, rise and fall of Ernest Hemingway
He was America's most celebrated writer. Anxious and depressed, he killed himself with a shotgun. It was an explosive end to a dangerous life.
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Turn off the technology! says filmmaker
A provocative British intellectual argues that technology is making us slaves. Independent thought, he says, is being destroyed by our love of machines.
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Poets, anarchists and druid priests inspired by May
Halfway through May, we look at how this much-loved month has been celebrated for thousands of years. As the weather warms, humans produce outpourings of art, religious fervour, and political...
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‘Innit’ and ‘thang’ enter the lexicon
Scrabble, the word game, says it will allow new words like 'blingy', 'bredren', and even 'grrl'. Protests will not halt the language's long history of adaptation. But should there be limits?
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Great poets: it’s not their job to be nice
A new book reveals much about the English poet Philip Larkin. He was far from perfect as a man. But should that affect how we read his poetry?
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Colleges caught up in immigration crackdown
New government proposals will reduce the number of students entering the UK from abroad. Loopholes to be closed – but at what cost to higher education?
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World Book Day: salute a revolutionary object
Books are both loved and feared for their power. Often banned by religious and political tyrants, they can be a true force for change. Why is it important to celebrate intellectual freedom?
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In Jeopardy: computer challenges human race
A computer program is challenging humans in a popular quiz show this week... It's a giant leap forward for AI but questions persist over just how far machines can go...
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England: a nation of tree-huggers?
Government plans to sell off swathes of woodland have been greeted with howls of protest. Sentimental? Or a measure of our love for trees and forests?