‘Two English Poems’: by the great Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges
“I inscribe this book to I. J..: English, innumerable and an Angel. Also: I offer her that kernel of myself that […]
Never Forgotten: Jeff Buckley’s stunning rendition of Dido’s Lament
“Remember me!” “When I am laid in earth, may my wrongs create No trouble in thy breast; Remember me, but […]
Modigliani and his English muse Beatrice Hastings
Today’s ‘Letter’ is inspired by a question written in to Nick Cave’s ‘Red Hand Files’, simply asking: ‘Do you have […]
London in All Weathers: Derain, Kirsty MacColl and a Bench in Soho Square
I’ve always associated Hyde Park with art due to the excellent Serpentine Gallery. But if there is a single art […]
In the Mood for Love: British Connections
Many critics study Wong Kar-wai’s masterpiece ‘In the Mood for Love’ through its cinematography, noting its use of ‘frames within […]
Where the Wild Roses Grow: Australian Impact on English Culture
Clive James, Barry Humphries, Germaine Greer; all came to England from Australia in the 60’s and immediately tore up the […]
Football in the Firing Lines: The Christmas Truce of 1914
The most beautiful moment of the beautiful game? Christmas Day, 1914. Suddenly, across the trenches, the guns fall silent. In […]
Walking with Dante and William Blake
I’ve done many real literary walks – a route through Mrs Dalloway’s London, a path taken in the poems of […]
White Lies: Official, Unofficial Video
As a teenager I used to dance and watch dance more often than I do now. I still remember seeing […]
British Artists and the Luminous work of Paul Klee
Today’s painting, seen by chance, stopped me in my tracks. It is by an English artist I had not come […]