John Carey
Bring back literary vendettas
Grub Street thrived when
there was an “establishment”,
movements and feuds
London vs the rest of the country
The publishing industry should aim to be more provincial and less metropolitan
Glaring omissions of a whistle-stop tour
Carey is the tour guide of a magnificent villa telling of the wonders that lie beyond a closed door
Most Read
Gary Stevenson is wrong about wealth taxes
The popular economist is irritating, but more importantly he is mistaken
Tame Impala fails to impress
unconquered by a
taste of Crusader food
Why they hated Ann Widdecombe
Fair-minded people could agree or disagree with her opinions. Left-wing bigots hated her for not abandoning them
Ethnic minorities are abandoning Labour
It is not just Muslim voters who have been abandoning the Labour Party
How to fix the economy
A repentant ex-financial trader tells all
Calypso and carnage
A seismic Test series and a harbinger of a new force in Test cricket
Sing for victory
The days when recording a novelty single was a pre-tour duty are long gone
Herodotus and the birth of enquiry
Before there were historians, there was Herodotus — a wandering Greek determined to discover why civilisations rise and fall
Andy Burnham’s devolution delusions
Think central government is the only problem? Look around you
Fond portrait of an odd couple
Two irascible, elderly artists and two beautiful younger women in unusual relationships
Is it time to let the doctor die?
Doctor Who has become increasingly incoherent and increasingly ideological
Papal pressures
The Pope was well-received in Spain, but political tensions have been mounting
Fair vs free elections
The grey zone between interference and counter-interference is becoming Europe’s new political frontier
Light my fire
A perfect spy requires a spark for his cigarette
Keeping the faith
Brexit triumphalists can’t understand how other people living in the UK in 2026 do not share their enthusiasm
Campaigners should let assisted suicide go
There is no principled case for using the Parliament Acts to squeeze through assisted suicide