What Would Radical Happiness Look Like?
How can you be happy when others are suffering? It’s a question that’s bothered me throughout my life. Part of the problem, I think,…
July Reading Roundup
I’ve been overwhelmed with work and travel lately and have got out of the habit of blogging. But I’m going to return…
Cultural Time Zones and the Global City
What is a cultural time zone? Think of tennis, says Melissa Tandiwe Myambo in a fascinating essay in New Left Review. On…
See What I Did There?
Has anyone else noticed an annoying trend in contemporary writing? OK, there are probably several that spring to mind (“I was sat?”),…
Chernobyl Prayer: Svetlana Alexievich’s Heart-Breaking Oral History
When I visited Belarus last year, I thought I’d read some Belarusian literature, and what better writer to start with than Svetlana…
April Reading Roundup
Time for another roundup. My month was consumed on the blog with the Radetzky March readalong, but in between that, I also read some…
The Radetzky March Readalong: Part 3
Welcome to the third and final part of The Radetzky Mach Readalong, kindly hosted by Caroline and Lizzy. We’re reading Joseph Roth’s famous novel…
The Radetzky March Readalong: Part 2
Welcome to Part 2 of the readalong of Joseph Roth’s novel The Radetzky March, kindly organised by Caroline and Lizzy. For Part 1, click here. To…
The Radetzky March Readalong: Part 1
This month, I am reading Joseph Roth’s novel The Radetzky March in the excellent company of fellow book bloggers Caroline and Lizzy.…