Biodiversity Octopus farming is the ultimate expression of our disconnect with nature A Spanish firm’s plan to rear octopuses for food is an affront to the otherworldliness of these creatures. By Philip Hoare
Culture Sex and death loom large in Luke Turner’s queer nature memoir, Out of the Woods By Philip Hoare
The night that changed my life: Philip Hoare on a lifetime shared with David Bowie It’s one long performance, one long evening shading into brilliant night. By Philip Hoare
Why humans are fascinated by birds Our obsession with creatures of flight, from Homer to Hamlet to Hitchcock. By Philip Hoare
The irresistible rise of the octopus, the closest creature to an intelligent alien Perhaps it is the octopus’s talent for trickery that has blinded us to its qualities. By Philip Hoare
Peter Adey’s wonderfully digressive book explores the science and history of levitation From flying carpets to rocket men, we have always dreamed of defying gravity By Philip Hoare
Herman Melville’s mystery: was Billy Budd black? A newly unearthed photograph identifies the African-American Trafalgar survivor who appears in Melville’s final novel. Could the book’s hero… By Philip Hoare
Queer City reveals a long tradition of gender-fluid Londoners Peter Ackroyd's gay history spans from the Romans to the present day. By Philip Hoare
From shore to shining shore: Erica Wagner’s vivid account of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge Chief Engineer: the Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge tells the story of the father and son responsible for… By Philip Hoare