Never trust a publisher
Once Twitter takes against you, they will wash their hands of you, Pontius Pilate-style
How to be a literary editor
Done well, book reviews have never been more important
Why modern novels are so boring
Writers who forget bourgeois aspiration lose a dimension
The myth of infallibility
Dispiriting as it may be, great authors are capable of writing bad books
Bring back the panjandrums
We need heavyweights to separate good from bad
Santa’s unspeakable sack
Why are publishers so sniffy about stocking fillers?
Scheherazade scoops the pot
Women now dominate the literary landscape
In search of the right stuff
Why are there so few conservatively-minded novelists?
Independent minds
Small local publishers are putting out the brightest and best new work
All shall have prizes
There are now so many awards that not winning one must seem a source of shame
SEEN should be heard
A new group aims to remind the police to act without fear or favour
Soothing sounds in time of war
There are expectations going back to 1948 that musicians turn up to provide relief
Women MPs should be representing women’s interests
It was ludicrous to talk about microaggressions in the aftermath of an alkaline attack
“Problematic” art
This kind of adolescent tripe passes these days for thought
Fifth magician blues
He made the tea, he forged the autographs, and only once did he run out of plectrums
Newsnight and the rapist
The BBC should be embarrassed by its careless coverage of a man who has now been convicted of rape
Less than an animal?
It is surely wrong that animal foetuses enjoy more protection under the law than human ones
Truss alone
Young Liz was accidentally left in charge of the country, only to be menaced by the worst sort of criminals: Tory MPs
End of the Biden farce?
The President’s fragility has been obvious for years — but was he ever in control?
The hidden cost of pronoun politeness
Using untruthful pronouns is not the same as complimenting a bad haircut
More drama, less news
An element of fiction can bring insights and humanity that pure non-fiction lacks
