The romantasy infatuation
The best-selling genre in publishing combines magical worlds, steamy sex and unfortunate prose.
By
Emily Bootle
Emily Bootle is a sub-editor at the New Statesman.
Latest articles
All Articles
BeReal and the authenticity trap
A new social media app claims to reflect the reality of its users – but is it ever possible…
By
On Midnights, Taylor Swift sounds more herself than ever
This intimate, shimmering record has all Swift’s hallmarks, alongside introspective, self-flagellating lyrics.
By
Are the 1975 geniuses, or simply mediocre?
The band’s new album is full of their signature contradictions. It is uplifting and ironic; ultra-modern yet nostalgic. Take…
By
From Vigdis Hjorth to The Waste Land: recent books reviewed in short
Also featuring essays by Mia Mercado and After the Romanovs by Helen Rappaport.
By
True crime’s legal pay-offs give it a righteous gloss – but it’s still only shallow, manipulative entertainment
The thrill of the genre is that it lends a factual story a dramatic twist. In fact, it is…
By
An ode to the Great British music festival
From Green Man to Glastonbury, the best festivals are UK festivals.
By
Reviewed in short: New books from Geoff Mulgan, CJ Hauser, Matt Rowland Hill and Hans Fallada
Another World Is Possible by Mulgan, The Crane Wife by Hauser, Original Sins by Rowland Hill and Lilly and…
By
Are football songs the new folk music?
From the trumpet blasts in “Sweet Caroline” to the many chants based on the tune of “Vindaloo” – sports…
By