Thomas Ovans investigates a Shoestring anthology edited by Merryn Williams which has received an unusual amount of attention for a poetry book.
society
A memoir by Bernard Green tells the story of a transport café over sixty years before and after World War two.
Fiona Sinclair considers a heavyweight collection from Michael Rosen and decides that it does not pull any political punches.
John Lucas takes an in-depth look at books by Michael Cullup and Gary Allen who both make poetry out of tough experiences .
Northern Ireland’s permanent representation in Brussels periodically brings to the capital of Europe a sample of Northern Irish culture in a spirit of cross-cultural exchange that risks being disrupted in the event of a Brexit.
John Forth browses a surprisingly varied collection of essays by Andrew Sant
Merryn Williams commends both the intention and the achievement of a poetry anthology in aid of refugee charities
When you listen over many years to hundreds of people, from all walks of life, talking confidentially about their relationships, patterns suggest themselves even while each person’s individuality remains vivid.
What exactly is the essence of Belgium? Far harder to pin down than French chic or English sang-froid, the nation’s uneasy mix of Walloon and Flemish, surreal and down-to-earth, all miraculously held together, is perfectly encapsulated by the Atomium – a giant, futuristic structure on the northern edge of Brussels.
Bernard Green has already given London Grip readers his memoir of Alf’s Café: here now is his “prequel” about dramatic incidents in Farnham in the 1940s…
By Michael Bartholomew-Biggs • history, society, year 2016 1 • Tags: Bernard Green, history, society