Diary

Diary

11 February 2016 3:00 pm

While browsing in Barter Books, the wonderful secondhand bookshop in Alnwick that is fast becoming a national institution, I came…

Diary

6 February 2016 9:00 am

There was a cloud over the ‘Oldie of the Year’ awards luncheon this week, which was the death only a…

Diary

4 February 2016 3:00 pm

There was a cloud over the ‘Oldie of the Year’ awards luncheon this week, which was the death only a…

Richard Branson at Davos (Photo: Getty)

Diary

30 January 2016 9:00 am

For years, I’ve wondered why so many clever people go to Davos to discuss topics as meaningless as ‘the new…

Richard Branson at Davos (Photo: Getty)

Diary

28 January 2016 3:00 pm

For years, I’ve wondered why so many clever people go to Davos to discuss topics as meaningless as ‘the new…

Diary

23 January 2016 9:00 am

Quarrelling about the date of Easter has been a Christian pastime for centuries. The chief bone of contention is whether…

Diary

21 January 2016 3:00 pm

Quarrelling about the date of Easter has been a Christian pastime for centuries. The chief bone of contention is whether…

Diary

16 January 2016 9:00 am

Whatever you do, don’t allow your six-year-old to be caught short at Crewkerne station. With the rain pouring and the…

Diary

14 January 2016 3:00 pm

Whatever you do, don’t allow your six-year-old to be caught short at Crewkerne station. With the rain pouring and the…

Diary

9 January 2016 9:00 am

So far my responsibilities as the 2016 chair of the Man Booker prize have been rather light. We’ve had our…

Diary

7 January 2016 3:00 pm

So far my responsibilities as the 2016 chair of the Man Booker prize have been rather light. We’ve had our…

Diary

2 January 2016 9:00 am

Disappointingly, the recent film about Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, does not include the thing about him which most struck…

Diary

31 December 2015 3:00 pm

Disappointingly, the recent film about Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, does not include the thing about him which most struck…

Diary

12 December 2015 9:00 am

Flying home to New York, I noticed a disturbing innovation in pre-flight cabin announcements. After the welcomes, exhortations, and promotions…

Diary

10 December 2015 3:00 pm

Flying home to New York, I noticed a disturbing innovation in pre-flight cabin announcements. After the welcomes, exhortations, and promotions…

Diary

5 December 2015 9:00 am

First, an apology. Thanks to me, all journalists at BBC Radio’s ethics and religion division are being sent for indoctrination…

Diary

3 December 2015 3:00 pm

First, an apology. Thanks to me, all journalists at BBC Radio’s ethics and religion division are being sent for indoctrination…

Diary

28 November 2015 9:00 am

Scientists are experimenting with growing replacement vocal cords in the lab, as well as transplanting them from dogs. That was…

Diary

26 November 2015 3:00 pm

Scientists are experimenting with growing replacement vocal cords in the lab, as well as transplanting them from dogs. That was…

Ian Rankin’s diary: Paris, ignoring Twitter and understanding evil

21 November 2015 9:00 am

After ten days away, I spent last Friday at home alone, catching up on washing, shopping for cat food, answering…

Ian Rankin’s diary: Paris, ignoring Twitter and understanding evil

19 November 2015 3:00 pm

After ten days away, I spent last Friday at home alone, catching up on washing, shopping for cat food, answering…

Diary

14 November 2015 9:00 am

One of my constituents has been in an Indonesian prison since May. Journalist Rebecca Prosser was arrested with her colleague…

Diary

12 November 2015 3:00 pm

One of my constituents has been in an Indonesian prison since May. Journalist Rebecca Prosser was arrested with her colleague…

Diary

7 November 2015 9:00 am

I had only experienced great loss when my mother died. It was desperately harrowing, but not as harrowing as the…

Diary

5 November 2015 3:00 pm

I had only experienced great loss when my mother died. It was desperately harrowing, but not as harrowing as the…