David McKee leaves behind beautiful, vivid art – and an important message
The creator of Mr Benn, Elmer and Not Now Bernard died on 6 April aged 87. But traces of his work remain all around us.
By
Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Latest articles
All Articles
Why literary writing should celebrate working-class culture
There’s a haunting story by Leon Garfield about a clerk who sells seven years of his own life to…
By
Tracey Thorn’s memoir of growing up in suburbia finds the extraordinary in the ordinary
It was boredom that produced Thorn and hundreds of artists like her. Now that it’s gone we might miss…
By
The night that changed my life: Frank Cottrell-Boyce on seeing The Pogues by accident
Their performance showed me that sincerity always beats irony.
By
Momentum banning the Sun? It’s the only polite thing to do in Liverpool
You wouldn’t invite Harvey Weinstein to a festival of films by great female directors. And you wouldn’t invite the Sun to Liverpool.
By
Alan Garner’s memoir is one of the best things he’s ever written
The prose is so clear that it feels less like writing and more like a surrendering to memory itself.
By
From murderer to minister: the strange story of the redemption of James Nelson
In 1969, Nelson was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his own mother. When he was released, he…
By
The Lost Words makes the most familiar things shiny and interesting once more
Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris bring together enchanting and accessible poems and artwork.
By
Robert Webb’s How Not To Be a Boy: a bittersweet picture of men dealing with loss
In his memoir, the actor remembers the goodwill of those who made him with grace and gratitude.
By