Latest Stories
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Man Booker shortlist sets off literary storm
Does it make sense to rank novels like horses? The six nominees for the highly prestigious Man Booker fiction prize have been announced. As always, the choices are very contentious.
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#Winning: hashtags celebrate 10th birthday
Ten years have passed since the # symbol was lifted out of obscurity and turned into a revolutionary tool of communication. How have hashtags changed the world? And should we be grateful?
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HBO hacked as Game of Thrones spoilers leaked
The TV network HBO has been hacked for a second time this month after a group broke into its social media. Is this HBO’s problem, or should consumers take more of a stand against cybercrime?
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‘Renaissance man’ Sam Shepard dead at 73
Writer, actor, musician, fashion icon: Sam Shepard has been compared to the multi-talented geniuses of the Renaissance age. Should we all follow his example and cultivate a range of skills?
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Minecraft book is ‘Crusoe for the digital age’
The latest novel by Max Brooks is a Robinson Crusoe-like tale of survival, zombies, and building an entire world from cuboid blocks. Yep — it is about Minecraft. Why is...
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‘Doomed’ cursive makes comeback in classrooms
Until recently, it looked like handwriting lessons were on their way out of American schools. That seems to be changing. As technology evolves, is there a need for cursive on the curriculum?
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Netflix reaches a whopping 104m subscribers
Shares in the streaming service shot up by 10% yesterday after the company announced a huge surge in subscriber numbers. Netflix has changed the way we watch TV — but is it for the better?
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Emojis are ‘the language of the 21st century’
Yesterday was World Emoji Day. The little yellow faces and symbols are just the latest method of communication invented by humans. But can emojis really be described as a new language?
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200 years later, Austen is still a sensation
Today marks 200 years since the death of Jane Austen. All over the world, “Janeites” will come together to worship the great novelist. Just what is behind her enduring appeal?
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Grouchy Greeks and the birth of TripAdvisor
Opinionated graffiti left on Egyptian tombs by Ancient Greek and Roman tourists has been likened to modern-day TripAdvisor reviews. Have we always been a species of grumblers and moaners?
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Hilary Mantel: ‘The dead have a vital force’
To many she is Britain’s greatest living writer and our most interesting public intellectual. Today, the Wolf Hall novelist delivers her fourth...
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Texts, tweets and twerps: the rise of rudeness
Road rage. Fat shamers. Victim blaming. We are all getting ruder, according to a brilliant new book by British writer Danny Wallace. Is this true — and is it necessarily a bad thing if so?
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Harry Potter and the seeds of political action
Twenty years ago today saw the release of the first Harry Potter book. The series is believed to have influenced a whole generation’s worldview....
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Trumpian ‘Julius Caesar’ dropped by sponsors
Shakespeare’s play about Ancient Rome has entertained audiences for centuries. But two US firms have pulled their support from a production in New York. Why? Its lead looks a lot like Trump…
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‘Feminist sci-fi’ novel wins major award
In The Power, women are suddenly endowed with a terrifying skill. The novel is a “devastating” tale of sex, fear and control. Can sci-fi tell us as much about society as...