Raymond Briggs’ genius was his understanding of loss
The writer and illustrator has died aged 88. From The Snowman to When the Wind Blows, his work was sensitive to the fears, feelings and losses…
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Megan Nolan
Megan Nolan is a writer of essays, criticism and fiction born in Ireland and based in London. She writes a fortnightly column for the New Statesman.
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We should all be worried about the blacklisting of literature
It may not be true censorship to blacklist books in a Western country with free and open internet access.…
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Our society is hysterical about sex work – but we have a duty to protect those who do it
There should be no argument about whether it is acceptable to provide support to sex workers, whatever your opinion…
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I know first-hand how destructive social media can be. But we can’t ban horrible posts
Twitter gave me nightmares and made existing mental illnesses worse. But I don’t think we can ban “legal but…
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The police don’t see Wayne Couzens as one of them. That’s the problem
A former senior detective says they “do not view Wayne Couzens as a police officer”. This logic shows how…
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The Larry Nassar abuse case shows why people believe conspiracy theories
For two decades authorities missed multiple opportunities to stop Nassar – failure which seems to go beyond simple incompetence.
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Who owns the image rights of a child?
Spencer Elden, the baby photographed on Nirvana’s iconic “Nevermind” cover, is suing the band. His lawsuit raises questions we…
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I’ve shed my teenage atheism and can see the appeal of Catholicism – but not of the Catholic Church
I fail to understand how Catholics can maintain an active relationship with the Church after its failure to apologise for unfathomable…
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I am relieved that the pursuit of love no longer dominates my life, yet loneliness frightens me
The idea that appealing to a romantic partner was necessary in order to avoid an isolated life has haunted me since…
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