Land — Maggie O’Farrell’s Ambitious Novel of Family, Ireland and Empire
Maggie O’Farrell’s new novel "Land" is an expansive family saga set against the backdrop of Ireland’s turbulent history and the British Empire. The book interlaces personal trauma with colonial politics, spanning several generations from the 19th‑century famine to contemporary times. O’Farrell employs a shifting narrative structure and lyrical prose to explore identity, land ownership, and the lingering effects of empire. Critics anticipate strong award‑season momentum and robust sales in the literary‑fiction market.
The Home of the Drowned — a Saga of Sámi People and the Battle to Preserve Their Past
The Financial Times feature "The Home of the Drowned" chronicles the Sámi people’s struggle to safeguard a historic burial ground threatened by development and climate‑induced erosion. The piece details a multi‑year legal battle, delayed government funding, and the involvement of...
What It Takes to Be a Traitor — the Making of the Cambridge Spies
The Financial Times piece delves into the formation of the Cambridge Five, revealing how a tight‑knit circle of left‑leaning Cambridge University students was coaxed into Soviet espionage in the 1930s and 1940s. It traces the ideological allure of anti‑fascism, the...
Lydia Pang on Infertility, Bitterness and the Unexpected Gift of Failure
Author Lydia Pang recounts her journey through three miscarriages, the bitterness that followed, and how she channeled that pain into a memoir titled "Eat Bitter: A Story About Guts and Food." She explains the Chinese idiom “eat bitter” as a...
Dark Is the Morning by Rupert Thomson — a Question of Infidelity
Rupert Thomson’s new novel "Dark is the Morning" explores a wartime love triangle that forces its protagonists to confront the moral ambiguities of infidelity. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the narrative follows a British intelligence officer, his wife,...
Best New Thrillers — Five Pacy Tales of Money, Mafiosi and Betrayal
The latest roundup spotlights five new thriller titles that fuse global conflict with personal stakes. Tom Bradby’s *Red Scorpion* (UK £16.99, ≈ $22) follows a debt‑laden doctor drawn into a Colombian crime syndicate; Andrew Rosenheim’s *The Interpreter’s Secret* (US $18) places...
Glorious Country — Frederic Church, America’s Painter of the Sublime
Victoria Johnson’s new biography *Glorious Country* chronicles Frederic Church, the 19th‑century Hudson River School titan whose sweeping landscapes brought distant wonders like the Andes and Niagara Falls to a hungry American public. The book details Church’s globe‑spanning expeditions, his blockbuster...
Why We Think What We Think — the Deeper Forces that Shape Our Beliefs
The Financial Times opinion piece examines the deep psychological and evolutionary forces that shape our beliefs. It argues that survival‑instincts, social identity, and cognitive biases act together to filter information and reinforce group narratives. The article also highlights how modern...
Stalin, Putin and the History of Poisoned Russian Minds
The article traces Russia’s long‑standing reliance on chemical terror, linking Stalin’s poison campaigns to Vladimir Putin’s contemporary information warfare. It outlines how Soviet‑era toxins were deployed against political opponents and how those tactics have been repurposed as covert influence tools...
FT and Standard Chartered Bracken Prize for Young Authors Opens to Entries
After a three‑year pause, the FT and Standard Chartered Bracken Prize for young business authors reopens, inviting proposals from writers under 35. The 2026 winner will collect £15,000 (about $19,200) and two runners‑up each receive £2,000 (≈$2,560). Submissions run from...
The Full and Interesting Lives of Writers’ Alter Egos
The Financial Times feature "The full and interesting lives of writers’ alter egos" examines how authors adopt pseudonyms or fictional personas to experiment with style, genre, and controversial topics. It highlights notable examples—from Stephen King’s Richard Bachman to Elena Ferrante’s...
The Story Behind an Almost Forgotten 1950s Feminist Fantasy Classic
The Financial Times profile revives a little‑known 1950s feminist fantasy novel, "The World Is Not a Dream," written by British author Eleanor Hart. Published in 1954, the book imagined a matriarchal society where women wielded magical power, challenging post‑war gender...
Chasing Freedom — Simukai Chigudu on the Trail of Rhodes and Mugabe
The Financial Times piece titled “Chasing Freedom — Simukai Chigudu on the trail of Rhodes and Mugabe” is currently locked behind a subscription wall, so the full interview and analysis are not publicly available. The page only displays promotional pricing,...
Why Constance Debré Shed Marriage, Law and a French Political Dynasty to Write Novels
Constance Debré, a member of France’s storied Debré political dynasty, abandoned a promising legal career and a high‑profile marriage to become a novelist. After years practicing law and navigating the expectations of a powerful family, she experienced a personal crisis...
What Can Poetry Give Us in Times of Crisis?
The Financial Times opinion piece explores how poetry can serve as a vital emotional anchor during periods of societal crisis. It draws on historical examples—from World War I trench verses to the surge of pandemic‑era poems—to illustrate poetry’s capacity to articulate...