My Pet, the Red Herring
Yet, despite the chaos, Herry became an indispensable part of our lives. He possessed an uncanny knack for appearing precisely when one wished to…
Europe writes itself. Again. And we are thrilled to have you here to read it.
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The Commonwealth of Letters
When viewed through the lens of literature, Europe ceases to be a patchwork of sovereign nations guarded by border checks and passport controls. Instead,…
The Ugly Catling
As they walked out into the chilly rain, snug in Clara’s warm pocket, Cattie smiled her stitched-scarlet smile. She had always known it, of…
Before I Knew Who I Was
I picked up Oliver’s forgotten graphite pencil from the floor. Holding it against the blank space above my collar, I did not draw eyes…
Vegan Popcorn for Dinner
The rain had been tapping against the single-glazed window of the flat since five o’clock, a steady, indifferent rhythm that matched the ticking of…
The Crown of Boughs
One grey morning, a silent wolf entered the royal chamber. He came from Calais, carrying a heavy iron axe. The falcon looked from the…
Update the Dummy
Nigel stared blankly at his kitchen counter, nursing a mug of synthetic tea. Having a smart phone, smart TV, smart fridge and smart thermostat…
A Huge Potential For Doing Nothing
Leonidas watched him with profound detachment. To a man whose father had spent forty-nine years waking up at three in the morning to battle…
When Life Gives You Books
That evening, sitting amidst tower blocks of Victorian drainage history, Phineas realised Mrs Brown was right. Lemons were versatile. Books were heavy, flammable and…
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
The book remains one of the most influential works in modern philosophy. It challenges readers to step away from mindless conformity, take responsibility for…
A Final Brushstroke
Pablo Picasso’s final year proved that for him, art was not merely a medium of expression, but the literal engine of his survival: a…
We Need More Meaning
It is time for literature to move beyond the superficial noise of the contemporary moment and deliver the rich, transformative meaning that readers so…
Two Rococo Couplets
Queen Marie Antoinette, who regularly sat for Vigée Le Brun, popularised the kind of simple, white muslin dress so beautifully painted in this portrait…
The Lazy Club
The afternoon sun hit the vinyl couch at precisely the angle required to make getting up feel like a crime against physics. In the…
One Last Weather Chant
Ninety-year-old Þorvaldur sat on his weathered wooden bench, watching the tide pull the grey foam away from the basalt cliffs. In his lap lay…
The Haunt Hunters
The damp autumn air hung heavy over Sick-a-Moor Castle, a crumbling Victorian pile that smelled entirely of wet spaniel and damp wallpaper. Philomena adjusted…
Beyond the Smile: My Sister, Lisa
She merely said, ‘The Master keeps asking me to think of secrets, Ginevra. He tells me to hold a thought I will never share…
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Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight
The tension is personified by Statler and Waldorf, the two elderly cynics perched permanently in the box seats. They are the ultimate…
Books of Our Continent
From the quiet shelves of forty-four national archives and ancient university libraries to the cosy corners of independent bookstores and modest home…
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