CLAIRE TOMALIN @ MCR Literature Festival
Ever since I interviewed Claire Tomalin for her Pepys book which won the Whitbread Prize, I’ve come to think of her as our pre-eminent literary biographer. I simply can’t think of another author who gets […]
BOOKS
GOLLANCZ’S 50 YEARS OF SCI-FI
Over the past 50 years, publishing house Gollancz has been responsible for some of the most exciting, groundbreaking and best-selling science fiction and fantasy writing, everything from JG Ballard to Philip K Dick. To mark […]
BANIPAL 42
In the last few years I’ve come across loads of excellent writing from the Arab world. Partly because of my job, partly because I think there’s a renaissance going on. The Beirut39 collection of work […]
NICHOLSON BAKER REVIEW
The best thing about reviewing for The Observer – ok, not the best thing, the most amusing thing – is that you suddenly become fair game for the millions of cross commenters who can’t believe […]
SEBASTIAN BARRY INTERVIEW
As the Booker prize approaches, I’m making my way through the shortlist. And as much as I’ve enjoyed the likes of Esi Edugyan’s Half-Blood Blues, I can’t help thinking the omission of Sebastian Barry’s On […]