How to write a wedding speech: A pro speechwriter’s top tips December 28, 2024 Have a role to play in the nuptials of a friend or family member? Professional speechwriter Alex Dymoke gives his advice on how to write a wedding speech, including managing nerves, getting the right tone and making it as personal as possible. The other day, at a birthday drinks at a musty little pub in [...]
The best books of 2024: From Sally Rooney to Boris Johnson December 12, 2024 Okay, that headline is ever-so-slightly misleading – while many of the entries on this list are indeed among the best books of 2024, others earn their place by virtue of being emblematic of their time (Boris Unleashed), zeitgeist-capturing (Bad Girls of Ancient Greece) or simply so utterly bonkers we felt they earned a spot (The [...]
‘It’s about confronting death’: The people paying authors to write their life story December 9, 2024 How do you want to be remembered? It’s a question humans have asked since time began, but have you ever paused to think about it – I mean really think about it? Who do you want to be remembered as, which stories do you want your grandchildren to hear? When you’re dead and gone and [...]
Best gifts for 2024: Our bumper Christmas Gift Guide of 44 must-buy presents November 29, 2024 It’s time to get serious about your presents, whether you’re looking for the best gifts for mum, top presents for dad or filling up a stocking for the rest of the family, we have you covered, from fashion to technology, fashion, fragrance and spirits. Check out our incredible annual gift guide, complete with links to [...]
In defence of wasting time October 3, 2024 Pleasure-focused pastimes such as reading fiction are being sacrificed for productivity-boosting pursuits. Anna Moloney, in repose, defends idleness.
Prince Harry’s best-selling memoir Spare drives sales at book publishing giant September 25, 2024 The success of Prince Harry’s best-selling memoir Spare helped drive sales at book publishing giant Random House, it has been revealed. The business, which is part of the Penguin Random House group, saw its turnover jump by 13.2 per cent to £262.3m in 2023, helped also by the Board of Lunch series which focuses on [...]
Sally Rooney Intermezzo review: Normal People author’s shift to the male perspective comes at a cost September 19, 2024 Moody men take the spotlight in Sally Rooney's Intermezzo, leaving the women as martyrs in the process, writes Anna Moloney.
The Notebook: Is Wapping the best place in London? September 11, 2024 With its cobbled streets, unspoiled apartment blocks and tall warehouse conversions with painted shutters, Wapping is a vision of a Victorian past.
Bloomsbury: Publisher of Harry Potter and Sarah J. Maas series eyes bumper revenue July 16, 2024 Bloomsbury is on track to grow its revenue to almost £320m as JK Rowling's Harry Potter series and Cixin Liu's The Three Body Problem, which inspired a Netflix series of the same name, boost the publisher's sales.
Dorian: The Musical review – New take on Oscar Wilde is all surface July 11, 2024 In this musical retelling of Oscar Wilde's most famous tale, Dorian becomes a rock star – but what lies beyond the glamour?