“I Shop, Therefore I Am is a rarity: a fashion book with real substance behind the style. It is Mary Portas’ voice, no-nonsense and up-front, that keeps the reader engaged. There is a lot of …

“I Shop, Therefore I Am is a rarity: a fashion book with real substance behind the style. It is Mary Portas’ voice, no-nonsense and up-front, that keeps the reader engaged. There is a lot of …

ALT: a woman with red hair is singing into a microphone in a dark room .

Helen Tope reviews Exquisite Nothingness: The Novels of Yukio Mishima by David Vernon

“In the way that Burnet unsteadies the reader, it will bring to mind Margaret Atwood’s 1996 novel Alias Grace, which in its treatment of a real-life crime, and perceived / real madness, has a…

“It is only recently that Eileen Chang has undergone a critical re-evaluation; much needed as it underlines the realist tones of her writing. What Time Tunnel proves is that her political fer…

“It is only recently that Eileen Chang has undergone a critical re-evaluation; much needed as it underlines the realist tones of her writing. What Time Tunnel proves is that her political fer…

“In the way that Burnet unsteadies the reader, it will bring to mind Margaret Atwood’s 1996 novel Alias Grace, which in its treatment of a real-life crime, and perceived / real madness, has a…

Helen Tope reviews Exquisite Nothingness: The Novels of Yukio Mishima by David Vernon

Writers: Christel Henon and Gilles Legardinier Director: Gilles Legardinier If there’s an actor who likes to keep us on our toes, it’s John Malkovich. We’re used to seeing him immersed in aspects of t...

“When it comes to books published on the back of Instagram success, it’s quite reasonable to have low expectations. The publishing path to lucrative cash grabs is strewn with biographies ‘wri…

Director: Fiona Cunningham-Reid Sharply merging the personal with the political, Fiona Cunningham-Reid’s documentary, Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism, doesn’t just look at what it’s like to be a...

Although it doesn’t get the same attention as Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion or even Emma, Sense and Sensibility can lay claim to being Jane Austen’s literary debut. Published in 1811, it did well. Its original critics described the novel’s plot as “probable, highly pleasing and interesting”. While she didn’t get the literary hoopla of a...

Get those pages turning and dive into Shorty September with a month of reading books under 200 pages. Say hello to Short Book September

“Pocock’s journey may have started as an intensely personal exploration of grief and loss, but what unfolds in Greyhound is a searing portrayal of gaping inequalities. However, Pocock’s sense…

Get those pages turning and dive into Shorty September with a month of reading books under 200 pages. Say hello to Short Book September

“While De Garis’ memoir has its share of bleakness, Drystone is filled with moments of humour. Her writing style makes for a readable, and emotionally balanced, experience. De Garis’ portrait…

“While De Garis’ memoir has its share of bleakness, Drystone is filled with moments of humour. Her writing style makes for a readable, and emotionally balanced, experience. De Garis’ portrait…

While they’re the lifeblood of the publishing industry, not all celebrity memoirs are created equal. For every David Niven, sparkling and poignant, there is Alan Shearer’s famous confession that he celebrated a championship win by creosoting his fence. Sadly, not a euphemism. Throwing his hat into the ring is comedian Rhys James. Not even close

Writer and Director: Howard Burton When we think of artists working in Renaissance Italy, there aren’t many women’s names that spring to mind. With Michelangelo, Raphael and Da Vinci as your cultural ...

Writers: Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich and Marina Magloire Director: Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich Looking at the life of writer and activist Suzanne Césaire even in the briefest details, it seems incredible that s...

When it comes to making the transition from page to screen, there are few novels that can rival the track record of Jane Austen’s 1813 classic, Pride and Prejudice. The book’s blend of romance and com...