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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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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”.
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5,000 years on, high heels are given the boot
Should we mourn the demise of high heels? In a landmark show at London Fashion Week, Victoria Beckham spun heads with a high heel-free catwalk. Trends suggest they could be on the way out.
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Ancient hashtag hailed world’s oldest drawing
Were ancient humans really just like us? Archaeologists have discovered a 73,000-year-old drawing in South Africa — evidence that early humans were more sophisticated than once thought.
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Tuneless, dull and dated: anthems under fire
Should we scrap national anthems? A nine-year-old girl has sparked anger by calling out racist lyrics in Advance Australia Fair. It is far from the only national song...
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Bodyguard: thrills viewers and divides critics
Does Bodyguard teach us anything about the world? The hit BBC show has become Britain’s most watched TV drama in over a decade — several different...
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London Fashion Week drops fur for first time
Should wearing fur be banned? Today, models and designers from around the world will arrive in the capital city for London Fashion Week. For the first time ever, the event will be fur-free.
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Avo, bougie and rando: the new words for 2018
Is the English language getting out of hand? Merriam-Webster has added more than 800 new words to its dictionary, including “TL;DR”. Our language has been constantly changing for centuries.
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Ableism row ignites over Elephant Man casting
Should able-bodied actors play disabled roles? Critics have slammed the BBC’s upcoming drama The Elephant Man for casting an able-bodied star as...
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Aretha: In her voice, we could feel our history
How should we remember Aretha Franklin — as a musician or a civil rights hero? The “Queen of Soul” died last week. She was one of the most celebrated and influential singers in history.
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The surprising philosophy of Winnie-the-Pooh
Should we all live like Pooh? As Christopher Robin hits cinemas, the friendly bear has been hailed “a philosopher to rival Plato and Confucius”....
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The wild, difficult genius of Emily Bronte
Should we admire Wuthering Heights? The first reviewers of Emily Brontë’s dark tale of obsessive love called it “baffling” and “disjointed”. To its fans, the novel is a...