*This piece was an entry for the New Writing North ‘A Writing Chance’ programme. The brief was ‘an original piece of journalism, non-fiction or / creative writing, up to 500 words on the theme ‘Life in 2020–2021’* I read the news today, oh boy. It used to be a vaudeville…

Keir Starmer’s Goldilocks approach to dealing with the mainstream media is lukewarm porridge, and which maniac likes lukewarm porridge? Writing about Keir Starmer has become like the qualities we’d hoped he’d embody when he became Leader of the Labour party; reliable but politically benign to the point of dullness while…

If Matt Hancock said he could jump the English Channel in a single bound, Kier Starmer would say, “The public has no desire to watch this man drown.” Matthew John David Hancock, The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and a man whose parents only managed to whittle…

Donald Trump has coronavirus and huge swathes of the internet could not be happier. After spouting off nonsense and dangerous treatments for the virus, lying about how deadly he knew the virus was, mocking his presidential opponent for wearing masks too often, and overseeing the deaths of over 200,000 Americans…

It might seem foolish to compare Enlightenment political theorist Thomas Paine and the bloke off the telly who plays a sidekick’s sidekick, Laurence Fox. …

“The factories are born, thrive briefly, turn to husks as the hand lettered signs above the shops give way to corporate logo; The same insignia reiterated; the same faerie ring of names about each city centre; the same architecture: Docklands über alles. And each town stamped from the same diseases…

Dear Nephew, I was very pleased to receive your letter in regards to my work at the Bureau Office for Legend and Lore Communication and Knowledge Services. Before I get to your questions regarding our recent efforts, I must apologise for the tardiness of my reply. We’ve been rushed off…

If you are at all interested in politics or social causes you’ll inevitably find yourself drafted or volunteering for the culture war. You might be surprised to learn that the idea isn’t a new one and dates back as far as 1871. coming from the Kulturkampf ( lit. “culture struggle”)…

In a quest to escape the reality of 2020 and recapture my youth, I’ve set myself the goal of reading all 41 Discworld novels in one year. Join me on this voyage of discovery which definitely isn’t a complete waste of time. Mild spoilers, probably. Jingo is another entry in the Watch Cycle of Discworld novels. This time around a mysterious island has risen from the Circle Sea creating tensions between the surrounding nations of Ankh-Morpork and Klatch. …