Fine new translation of a wonderful writer who lived an extraordinary life Albertine Sarrazin | The Crib and Other Stories, trans. Sonya Moor | Confingo: £10.00 (available to pre-order)Reviewed by Livi Michael It would be easy to focus solely on the extraordinary details of Albertine Sarrazin’s life. Born in Algiers in 1937, she was abandoned […]
Gaia Holmes, He Used to Do Dangerous Things, reviewed by Anna O’Boyle
A poet’s inventive and unusual debut short fiction collection Gaia Holmes | He Used to Do Dangerous Things | Comma Press: £10.99Reviewed by Anna O’Boyle Gaia Holmes’ He Used to Do Dangerous Things secures Holmes’ move from poetry to short fiction as a success. The collection presents an original, intriguing, and often surprising assemblage of […]
The Flying Dutchman, The Lowry, Salford, reviewed by Paul Knowles and Edith Powell
Opera North’s powerhouse production of The Flying Dutchman brings Wagner’s depiction of Faustian love onto the stage in triumphant fashion The Flying Dutchman | The Lowry, Salford | 15th of March 2025Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Edith Powell Opera North is a leading UK arts organisation based in Leeds. Its mission is to make opera […]
Monica Ali @ LBF25, reviewed by Joseph Hunter
Monica Ali @ LBF25 | 13th March 2025Reviewed by Joseph Hunter At all of the talks and events at this year’s London Book Fair there was an abiding sense that the wider world is in a state of disequilibrium, to put it mildly. Chris Power (A Lonely Man, 2021) put words to what many of […]
Claudia Piñeiro @ LBF25, reviewed by Joseph Hunter
Claudia Piñeiro @ LBF25 | 12th March 2025Reviewed by Joseph Hunter In the subterranean Main Stage of the London Book Fair, Claudia Piñeiro was unsure about her own ability to conduct the conversation in English rather than her native Spanish. The Argentinian author, best known for her crime novels, has had many of her books […]
Adam Farrer, Broken Biscuits: And Other Male Failures, reviewed by Joseph Hunter
A touching, searching, and warm memoir of troubles with masculinity Adam Farrer | Broken Biscuits: And Other Male Failures | Harper North: £16.99Reviewed by Joseph Hunter Anyone reading this, no matter their gender, will know that complaining about how hard it is to be a man is not a highly-commended activity. In fact, most men […]
Paul Stubbs, Beast: The Lost Chronicles, reviewed by Michael Lee Rattigan
A potent and challenging poetic reimagining of Yeats‘ ‘rough beast‘ Paul Stubbs | Beast: The Lost Chronicles | Broken Sleep Books: £9.99Reviewed by Michael Lee Rattigan ‘En route to Bethlehem’ contains the first of many cleavings in Paul Stubbs’ propulsive seventh collection, in many ways both a culmination and a confluence of this poet’s singular […]
Zdravka Evtimova, The Wolves of Staro Selo, reviewed by Dylan Stewart
Contemporary Bulgarian fairytale told in a polyphonic, experimental style Zdravka Evtimova | The Wolves of Staro Selo | Héloïse Press: £12.95Reviewed by Dylan Stewart The Wolves of Staro Selo is a contemporary Bulgarian fairytale told by Zdravka Evtimova, who won, among other accolades, Bulgaria’s Favourite Writer in 2021, and translated by Yana Ellis, who won […]
Shadow and Void: Buddha¹⁰, esea contemporary, reviewed by Joseph Hunter
Esoteric and serene by turns, this international collaboration re-interprets buddha statues Shadow and Void: Buddha¹⁰ | esea contemporary | Jan 18th – April 20thReviewed by Joseph Hunter I’ve seen a few buddhas in my time. In Japan a long time ago I saw the Great Buddha in Tōdai-ji, Nara, wide and matte-black, stern, looming high overhead […]
A Complete Unknown (dir. James Mangold), reviewed by Joseph Hunter
Young Dylan rebels against the folk scene in this evocative, beautiful biopic A Complete Unknown | dir. James Mangold | Reviewed by Joseph Hunter Handsome, chiselled, lyrically-named Timotheé Chalamet looks like Bob Dylan in this film. I mean he really, really looks like Bob Dylan. The styling helps: the clothes, the sunglasses, the wigs. But […]
Misha Honcharenko, Trap Unfolds Me Greedily, reviewed by Clare Patterson
A rich, challenging, poetic novel of pain, desire, violence, and grief Misha Honcharenko | Trap Unfolds Me Greedily | Sissy Anarchy: £15Reviewed by Clare Patterson Following the publication of his debut poetry collection Skin of Nocturnal Apple with Pilot Press in 2023 comes Misha Honcharenko’s debut novel. Enfolding war, childhood, fear of death and the […]
Dunstan Power, The Empty Rope, Reviewed by Paul Anthony Knowles
Two men’s lives shattered by a climbing accident twenty-five years ago in Patagonia — that neither man can forget — which forms the basis of this gripping debut thriller. Dunstan Power | The Empty Rope | Black Pear Press: £10.00Reviewed by Paul Anthony Knowles Dunstan Power’s debut novel, The Empty Rope, is a gripping thriller […]
Ailsa Cox | Precipitation | Reviewed by Paul Anthony Knowles.
Domestic Gothic stories where the sinister behind the everyday is centre stage. Ailsa Cox | Precipitation | Confingo: £6:00 plus postage and packaging. Reviewed by Paul Knowles. Cox’s Precipitation is a masterclass in capturing the unsettling eeriness that sits behind the mundanity of the domestic. All three stories in Cox’s collection explore the hidden secrets […]
David Wheldon, The Viaduct, Reviewed by Dylan Stewart
It is an imagination, and a world, that I quite liked inhabiting. In some ways it seemed notably British, made up of well-meaning but somewhat sinister parochial towns, cities with draconian laws, a legion of nearly identical coppers to enforce them, and superstitious drifters who seem sick of the whole set-up but have no power […]
Blue Now, Aviva Studios, reviewed by Clare Patterson
A moving live staging of Derek Jarman’s intimate final work Blue Now | Aviva Studios | 8th December 2024Reviewed by Clare Patterson Over three decades after the original release of Derek Jarman’s Blue (1993), director Neil Bartlett brings a live stage performance of Jarman’s visionary final film to Aviva Studios. Sitting down in the theatre, […]
Stella Wong, Stem, reviewed by Ian Pople
An energetic and resonant collection of lyric poems and dramatic monologues Stella Wong | Stem | Princeton University Press: £14.99Reviewed by Ian Pople In her second collection, Stem, Wong offers a series of poems entitled, ‘Dramatic Monologue…’, followed by the names of several forgotten female composers. These forgotten female composers have tended to specialise in […]
Twelfth Night, Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Stratford-upon-Avon), Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Edith Powell
A darkly delicious Christmas retelling of Shakespeare’s raucous gender-swapping comedy. Twelfth Night | Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Stratford-upon-Avon) | 7th of December Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Edith Powell Undoubtedly, this is one of the most confident, raucous, and dazzling productions of Shakespeare that we have watched over the last few years. The costumes, […]
Rachel Kushner, Creation Lake, reviewed by Georgina Parfitt
An unreliable narrator’s cry for help Rachel Kushner| Creation Lake | Jonathan Cape: £18.99 Reviewed by Georgina Parfitt My friend and I happened to be reading Creation Lake at the same time without knowing it. I mentioned it one day, withholding my thoughts, and my friend got excited: Oh, you too?, We hesitated. There are […]
John Ironmonger, The Wager and the Bear, reviewed by Paul Knowles and Samantha Cassells
A Cornish Ecothriller: two adversaries thrown together by a deadly climate wager John Ironmonger | The Wager and the Bear | Fly on the Wall Press: £11:99 Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Samantha Cassells John Ironmonger’s The Wager and the Bear is a hugely ambitious novel: mixing philosophy, politics and climate change together in an […]
David Hockney – Bigger and Closer (not smaller and further away) | Factory International @ Aviva Studios | Reviewed by Liam Starkey
People may think Hockney is a little obvious or populist, but I realise Hockney is a quality artist. David Hockney – Bigger and Closer (not smaller and further away) | Factory International @ Aviva Studios 10 December 2024 – 25 January 2025 | Reviewed by Liam Starkey Getting into the exhibition is a little disorientating. […]
Design for Planet Festival 2024, Manchester School of Art, reviewed by Rowanna Lacey Ewings
An event that truly allowed the free flow of radical thought and provided a place for powerful discussions around making sustainable change. Design for Planet Festival 2024 | Manchester School of Art (Manchester Metropolitan University) | Reviewed by Rowanna Lacey Ewings The sustainability spotlight was shining down on Manchester for the Design for Planet Festival […]
Samantha Harvey, Orbital, reviewed by Paul Knowles and Edith Powell
A dizzying, stark, haunting reflection on humanity’s hubris from outer space. Samantha Harvey| Orbital| Jonthan Cape: £9.99Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Edith Powell Orbital by English writer Samantha Harvey is a lyrical reflection on what makes us human: our hopes, beliefs and fragilities. The narrative follows six astronauts from across the globe (Russia, Japan, Ireland, […]
Yael van der Wouden, The Safekeep, Reviewed by Alexandria Mowrey
Lost and found are two sides of the same coin in this stirring tale of desire Yael van der Wouden | The Safekeep | Viking: £16:99 Reviewed by Alexandria Mowrey ‘They are not for touching. They are for keeping.’ These are the first words spoken by Isabel in Yael van der Wouden’s Booker-shortlisted (and debut) […]
Percival Everett, James, reviewed by Joseph Hunter
Strange, barbed, inverted retelling of an American classic by a contemporary American giant Percival Everett | James | Pan Macmillan: £9.99Reviewed by Joseph Hunter I don’t know what to make of this novel. It’s hard to assess it. It’s hard for two reasons. 1) Percival Everett is a superb, distinguished, and significant writer. 2) This […]
Charlotte Wood, Stone Yard Devotional, Reviewed by Stuti Dhar Chowdhury
A narrative of life, death and the intrigue encompassing both. Charlotte Wood | Stone Yard Devotional | Sceptre: £16.99 Reviewed by: Stuti Dhar Chowdhury A novel which pulls you right in, and yet keeps you at a distance; Charlotte Wood’s Stone Yard Devotional is a true delight to read, which explains its nomination for the […]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream | The Lowry, Salford | Reviewed by Paul Knowles
Opera North’s spellbinding production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream captures the ethereal beauty of Britten’s music whilst putting the fun back into Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Benjamin Britten) | The Lowry, Salfrod | 13th of November 2024Reviewed by Paul Knowles The moment the ethereal humming of the synth starts to reverberate around the […]
The Magic Flute | The Lowry, Salford | Reviewed by Joseph Hunter
Opera North’s production of Mozart’s opera sings and soars The Magic Flute | The Lowry, Salford | 16th November 2024Reviewed by Joseph Hunter Audiences can get oversized ideas about their own importance. Yes, we are the ‘reason’ for what we are seeing. Without us, there is no show. The performers respond to our energy – we […]
Duets: Stories | Scratch Books | reviewed by Paul Knowles
A new anthology produces bold, stunning, and innovative short fiction Duets: Stories | Scratch Books: £11.99Reviewed by Paul Knowles Tom Conaghan (the publisher of Scratch Books) has commissioned and released another daring and innovative anthology of short fiction: Duets. Duets follows in the wake of Scratch Book’s Reverse Engineering series. The Reverse Engineering series focused […]
Anne Michaels, Held, reviewed by Sam Lamplugh
An immaculate but disquieting narrative across time Anne Michaels | Held | Bloomsbury: £9.99Reviewed by Sam Lamplugh Novels – good ones at least – utterly submerge the reader in their concerns, their perspectives and their characters for the entire length of their span. This is because, as John Berger noted, “the story’s voice makes everything its own.” Held, […]
Othello | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon | Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Sam Cassells
A powerhouse production that reframes the action of Othello away from male jealousy and towards the horrific realities of the violence enacted on the female leads Othello | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon | 24th October 2024Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Sam Cassells In its opening minutes, the new RSC production of Othello offers a traditional […]
FitkinWall, Harpland | Sale Waterside Theatre | Reviewed by Joseph Hunter
Versatile harpist and composer duo present migrant-themed folk music, reimagined. , FitkinWall, Harpland | Sale Waterside Theatre | 17th OctoberReviewed by Joseph Hunter The café at the Sale Waterside theatre was making me feel insecure. It wasn’t the café’s fault, it was mine. The café – and the theatre itself – is gorgeous. Pristine, white-rendered […]
New Dawn Fades, Royal Northern College of Music, reviewed by Peter Wild
A brave if uneven adaption of the Joy Division Story New Dawn Fades | Royal Northern College of Music | 18th and 19th of October 2024Reviewed by Peter Wild The story of Joy Division, at this point in the history of the world, is something of a well-trodden path. There have been documentaries, books and […]
Modern Gothic | Fly On The Wall Press | Reviewed by Lindz McLeod
Six contemporary writers and their fresh takes on the typical themes of gothic fiction Modern Gothic | Fly On The Wall Press: £11.99Reviewed by Lindz McLeod An oft-touted facet of Gothic fiction is the narrative framing device of a tale within a tale, shown to advantage here in Michael Bird’s opener ‘A Glass House for […]
Bastille presents “&” (Ampersand) | Candlelight Sessions at Manchester Cathedral | Reviewed by Alexandria Mowrey
A tapestry of stories: old, new, & everything in between Bastille presents “&” (Ampersand) | Candlelight Sessions at Manchester Cathedral | October 16th, 2024Reviewed by Alexandria Mowrey A large group of Bastille fans and I queued up in the rain outside of Manchester Cathedral. The evening marked the final stop on Bastille front man, Dan […]
Camille Ralphs, After You Were, I Am, reviewed by Andrew McCulloch
‘In the beginning was the Word’: Camille Ralphs casts a spell. Camille Ralphs | After You Were, I Am | Faber & Faber: £12.99Reviewed by Andrew McCulloch The epigraph of Camille Ralphs’ debut collection is from the Coptic Gospel of Thomas. Discovered in Egypt in 1946, this consists of 114 logia attributed to Jesus, some […]