There’s a lot to admire in the ambition of War of the Encyclopaedists, a collaborative novel set during the occupation of Iraq from MFA graduate Christopher Robinson and platoon leader Gavin Kovite. It nails both the pathetic pretence […]
The Observer, March 2016 The poignant labour of love that was Alexei Sayle’s chronicle of his unusual childhood, Stalin Ate My Homework, begged for a sequel, and follow-up Thatcher Stole My Trousers takes up his story at Chelsea […]
The Observer, May 2015 It was 1854, and Robert FitzRoy was awaiting government funding for a nascent Met Office that might forecast the weather. But he was literally laughed out of town. A supportive MP, […]
The Observer, May 2015 Jonty MacKay tries to make love to a corpse, momentarily put off when gas belches out from her mouth, followed by a fly. But Jonty isn’t even the most sexually addicted […]
The Observer, April 2015 Celebrity chefs sell us the dream of whipping up daily, home-cooked dinners using the freshest ingredients. It pricks our consciences just enough to steer clear of obviously processed food and slip […]