A celebration of friendship – by Andrew O’Hagan
‘Get the drinks in, tell stories and make the day better than it was’, writes the novelist, as he delves deep into his friendships from childhood to the present
Goodbye and good riddance to ‘non-crime’
The congratulatory messages started pouring in shortly after 5.30 p.m. on Monday. The Metropolitan Police had just issued a press…
Sir Keir, Emperor of Inertia
In Silicon Valley there is a simple mantra that drives innovation: You Can Just Do Things. Wait for permission from…
Dear Mary: How can I turn down invitations without offending people?
Q. I was recently lent six books by a friend I see regularly for yoga. I was bemoaning the fact…
George Abaraonye deserves his downfall
Contrary to what I had expected, the Oxford Union president-elect, George Abaraonye, lost his vote of no confidence by a…
The new Springsteen biopic is cringe
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is a biopic of ‘the boss’ starring Jeremy Allen White. It is not cradle to…
The Ultras: meet Britain’s new Islamo-socialist alliance
Ayoub Khan seemed delighted. Last Thursday, it was announced that fans of the Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv would…
The westerners helping Hamas win the propaganda war
After two years of war, and despite Israel’s many successes on the battlefield, Hamas can also claim a kind of…
Reeves’s fiscal play-off
In a week where political attention was on espionage and anti-Semitism, the cri de coeur from one Treasury official was…
The bliss of un-fame
In July, astronomers at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System discovered an interstellar object racing through the solar system at…
Portrait of the week: Downfall of a duke, double-decker trains in the Chunnel and no more chocolate Penguins
Home Prince Andrew said he would no longer use his titles, including as Duke of York, or his honours; his…
The best artist alive? Probably
Taking place every October in Regent’s Park, the Frieze fair is probably the biggest event in London’s art calendar. It…
The battle for Farage’s mind
If New Labour was Margaret Thatcher’s greatest achievement, then Reform UK is perhaps Tony Blair’s. Distaste for the three-time election…
The staggering beauty of Fra Angelico
In 1982, Pope John Paul II surprised a few people by beatifying Fra Angelico, the 15th-century Dominican friar from near…
Who would dare raid the Louvre?
Louvre incursion Jewellery once belonging to Napoleon’s family was sprung from the Louvre. In 1911 the ‘Mona Lisa’ was stolen…
A great comedy about a terrible sport
I’m trying to think of things I’m less interested in than American football. The plant-based food section? Taking up my…
Imagine what Enoch Powell might have said
The great John O’Sullivan has a story about Enoch Powell which he keeps promising to put into print. Since he…
The Chinese spy case you won’t have heard about
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, handsomely housed in London’s Bedford Square, is responsible for trade relations between the…
‘Trump isn’t easy’: Piers Morgan on his friends – and foes
When I meet Piers Morgan, he warns me he’s glued to the ‘moment in history’ happening on his TV screens…
My most profitable day on a racecourse ever
The Champions Day finale at Ascot gave us, as it should, the best race of the season. Thanks to weather…
The sheer joy of nighties
One of the many problems with the internet is that it’s increasingly difficult to know if something has become ubiquitous…
How to succeed, Roman-style
Whatever Prince Andrew has done, the succession to our throne is secure. How envious the Roman emperor Augustus would have…
