Shakespeare’s competition: the grisly world of British bear‑baiting
Thespians of old playing the Globe Theatre would have walked past the Bankside bear-baiting ring on their way in.
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The Victorians gave us the Christmas cracker – but are also to blame for the terrible jokes inside
Q: If you were to kill a conversational goose, what vegetable would she allude to? A: Ah-spare-a-goose! Gettit?
How Star Wars kick‑started modern toy collecting
The Star Wars saga is interlinked with its merchandising success.
Lily Savage: how Paul O'Grady helped embed drag in the British mainstream
O'Grady’s camp creation built on the legacy of drag artists that came before him and helped change the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in the UK.
Sport may be an opium of the people – but it matters
Some on the left view sport as a distraction. But life is a struggle. And there shouldn’t be anything wrong with finding something to celebrate.
Booker Prize – masterful Scottish working‑class story Shuggie Bain wins in most diverse year yet
The story of child poverty in 1980s Glasgow speaks to current concerns across the UK.
How the Manchester Arena attack showed that altruism is human instinct
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by horror at terrorist attacks. But the first impulse of people during emergencies is often to help others.
Alasdair Gray: unseen artworks offer insight into a profoundly creative and original artist
Gray’s artworks give us insights into the intensely personal psyche of a creative genius.
Good historical fiction is not just about factual accuracy, but the details of human experience too
When it comes to writing historical fiction, one author finds that it’s the very human details that resonate with the reader.
The Canterville Ghost: Oscar Wilde’s ghost story gets new life in this funny and stylish animated adaptation
The stylish Oscar Wilde animation has a distinguished cast, including Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.
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