Latest Stories
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Scathing reviews celebrated in hatchet award
Yesterday, 2011’s angriest, wittiest, most cutting book reviews were celebrated by a special award: for Hatchet Job of the Year. Is the venom of critics good for literature?
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Great expectations for Dickens birthday bash
Britain’s greatest Victorian novelist was born exactly 200 years ago. He was a literary celebrity with hordes of adoring fans but, if he was alive today, would he still be writing books?
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Crime thrillers dominate UK library lending
The names of Britain’s most borrowed books have been revealed, to mark National Libraries Day. Murder mysteries top the charts – but are readers guilty of wasting their time on trash?
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New book offers love lessons from literature
Released this week to critical acclaim, a new book called ‘Much Ado About Loving’ distils the works of the world’s literary greats into useful relationship advice for modern readers.
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Silent film goes back to basics for surprise hit
In a world of 3D blockbusters and surround sound, a silent, black and white movie has taken cinemas by storm. How has something so simple and old-fashioned done so well?
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Poets withdraw from prestigious £15,000 prize
Two renowned poets have withdrawn from the T.S. Eliot Prize because they objected to where the prize money had come from. Does it matter who funds the arts?
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‘Squeezed middle’ is word of the year, says OED
Word watchers for the Oxford English Dictionary have chosen a phrase that they say perfectly captures the spirit of the moment. But why are terms like ‘squeezed middle’ so quick to catch on?
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Art through the looking glass at new exhibition
Nearly 150 years after ‘Alice in Wonderland’ was written, a new exhibition explores how Lewis Carroll’s surreal story has inspired artists. Why are we so attracted to his fantastical world?
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King James Bible celebrated in royal service
The Queen was among the congregation at a grand church ceremony to mark 400 years since the great Bible translation was finished. It was the culmination of a year of special events.
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Press freedom in the dock as inquiry begins
Yesterday a panel of high ranking journalists, activists and legal thinkers met to spend up to one year deciding how the UK’s free press should be governed.
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Victorian love saga still pulls in the crowds
A film version of ‘Wuthering Heights’ has cast a striking new light on Emily Brontë’s classic novel. Such adaptations are more popular than ever. What explains their enduring appeal?
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With one ‘Oops’ a political star hits the buffers
Gaffes are a part of public life – politicians are human too. But a moment of forgetfulness has sent the American presidential hopeful Rick Perry from front-runner to also-ran. Why?
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Poppy debate blossoms on Remembrance Sunday
At 11am today, the UK will fall silent to remember those who have died serving their country. Poppies will appear on the lapels of people all over the world. But what does the flower mean?
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Top selling video game sparks anxiety over violence
A new game in the hit ‘Call of Duty’ series has just been released. Critics love it. Fans are buying it in record numbers. But the brutal violence of the series has some people worried.
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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...