Copy: Creative Times 28/02/12 >> What pushed the Halle Orchestra, The Lowry and The Royal Exchange – three of Greater Manchester’s best arts organisations – together for the forthcoming production of Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town? In this piece I wrote for...

Copy: The National 27/02/12, Metro 19/02/12 >> Having been to Mauritius recently, I was fascinated to see how the Booker-nominated Sri Lankan author Romesh Gunesekera would approach a novel set on the island. His lasting impression was similar to my own – it’s a fascinating...

Copy: The National 26/02/12 >> For a while last year it seemed like everyone was reading David Nicholls’ One Day, the wonderful tale of two star-crossed university lovers who we happen across every year, on the same day, for 20 years. I must admit I came to it late – one of...

Copy: Vision, 24/02/12 >> If The Artist does win Best Picture on Sunday at the Academy Awards, it will complete a remarkable rise for a film I first wrote about last June. Back then, the notion that a French, black and white, silent movie would even be nominated, let alone have a chance...

Copy: The National 20/02/12 >> My very favourite book of 2012 so far is Ruth Padel’s The Mara Crossing. Even the cover is gorgeous. It’s a really lovely series of reflections on migration, be that animal, human or avian, in which Padel writes a short essay on a topic which...

Copy: Metro 16/02/12 >> Once again, I can’t post a link to Metro’s book reviews because for some reason they don’t publish them online. But here’s my review of Alex Preston’s second novel which, despite some reservations, I heartily recommend. The...

Copy: The National 23/02/12 >> I seem to have been writing about biopics a lot recently; both covering news that Elton John is planning to be the executive producer on a jukebox musical of his own life – which, short of playing himself, it’s just about the most egotistical...

Copy: The National 09/02/12 >> Every time I see another report on the terrible events in Syria, I’m reminded of Syrian poet Adonis. He lives in self-imposed exile after being imprisoned in 1956 for his involvement in an opposition party, but, writing from his Paris and Beirut...