When art is life: the exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) Chris Knox biography, reviewed
Claire Mabey reads Not Given Lightly, Craig Robertson’s long-awaited biography of iconic, contradictory artist Chris Knox. Where do…
Who can write a novel today?
Claire Mabey argues that it’s high time we stop thinking of creative work as a nice-to-have; and instead…
An ode to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Bee Trudgeon has had a lifelong love affair with CS Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.…
What is ‘dark academia’ – and why is it having a moment?
Claire Mabey unpacks the not-quite-a-genre of dark academia: its features, themes and examples. What is dark academia? “Dark…
Time after TIME: a conversation with Rutendo Shadaya
The Year 12 writer from Tokoroa tells Claire Mabey what life has been like since Time magazine named…
Straight Line Was a Lie: Liz Stokes on writing The Beths’ most personal album yet
Alex Casey talks to Liz Stokes from The Beths about breaking through writer’s block and accepting the mess.…
What would Sarah Jessica Parker think of Carrie Bradshaw’s novel?
Claire Mabey dissects the fragments of Carrie Bradshaw’s historical novel and wonders what Booker Prize 2025 judge Sarah…