authoritarianism
Farewell to Lyra: The Rose Field, by Philip Pullman, reviewed
In the final volume of The Book of Dust, Pan’s quest for Lyra’s lost imagination takes him east into another universe, while Lyra heads the same way looking for her daemon
Waifs and strays: Gliff, by Ali Smith, reviewed
Two lonely, recalcitrant children, Briar and Rose, find themselves among a bunch of other rag-tag misfits resisting ‘re-education’ by the brutal regime in power
We love you, Uncle Xi!
Tom Miller on the cult of personality that China’s ‘core leader’ has so ruthlessly constructed
Constitutional rights and wrong
No one can accuse Linda Colley of shying away from big subjects. This one is as big as they come…
Death metal
We in the West may snigger at heavy metal, but in some parts of the world its practitioners face the death penalty. Karen Yossman reports
There’s a right way to lose at the Oxford Union. I did the wrong way
The way not to win a debate at the Oxford Union, I’ve just discovered, is to start your speech with…
