Bereavement
Private battles: Twelve Post-War Tales, by Graham Swift, reviewed
The latest short stories focus on everyday traumas: ageing, PTSD in a former soldier, and the loss of a parent, spouse or grandchild
The deep sorrow of losing a sibling
My sister died last summer, before her time, at 58. Her death has left me shaken with sorrow and remorse:…
The limits of nostalgia
Why I had to let go of my late sister’s house
Be careful what you wish for
The problem for feminism is men. Not, specifically, in the sense that men are the source of women’s problems, although…
Letters
Zero possibility Sir: Katy Balls is right to conclude that the government is ‘not being upfront’ on the bill for…
Mourning sickness
Why are we so scared of other people’s grief?
Good grief
A proper funeral is a great comfort
Wild life
Indian Ocean coast ‘I love you’ became just ‘love’, and that was the last word Mum was able to say…
![[Photo: middelveld]](https://www.spectator.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2Novreallife.jpg?w=410&h=275&crop=1)
I’m getting another horse — but it’s not for me
Sitting on the train to Surrey, I was halfway home and texted the builder boyfriend to say when I would…
Susie Boyt neatly skewers the self-help trends
Grief is not being able to eat a small boiled egg. ‘Could you face an egg?’ the widowed Jean asks…
Death on the NHS
Ten years ago, the National Health Service eased my father’s final days. My mother, this year, was not so lucky
Summer’s end
Hedonism, tragedy and me
