Category: Book reviews
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On re-uniting the left

All white people are racist; all men are sexist, racism and sexism are systems that can exist and oppress without the presence of a single person with racist or sexist intentions; sex is not biological but exists on a spectrum; saying you are not racist, sexist or homophobic is proof that you are; language can…
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My Christmas Homework, 2016 (or, why we still look back in anger )

NB This was written in 2020. I am re-posting now to help this petition reach the million mark (We made it! Now, how about 1.5 million, to match the numbers on that famous march in London – or perhaps more, for all those on the other ‘don’t attack Iraq’ marches around the world.) Homework, set…
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Books in times of lockdown

Well, here we are in lockdown again and among the trials and tribulations, our beloved bookshops are closed once more. If you’re in Hastings, please remember Bookbuster and Printed Matter still have ordering systems in place, and other shops around the town – and everywhere! – are offering their titles through online stores. Here’s a…
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Have *you* ever heard of the Froggicorn?

Giants, unicorns, mermaids, dragons… They’re very famous, everyone knows what they are, even though (shh!) they may not quite… exactly… er… exist. But no-one has heard of the Froggicorn. Why is that, when the Ancient Teller of Stories thought the Froggicorn was The Loveliest Mythical Beast of them All? I read this every day for…
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Beauty is still dying

When I read Sheri S Tepper’s ‘Beauty’ back in the early ‘90s, I thought she had done me an injury. I enjoyed it, but the Ending (not the ending of the book, The Ending) was just too dark. Not fair. I just read it again, here in 2020 and, when I got to the bit…


