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Explore Essays and memoir

Best Book of 1928: Quicksand

Lucy Ives

Lucy Ives argues that Nella Larsen – author of ‘terse, obsessively observed fiction’ – penned the best book of 1928.

Best Book of 1962: The Pumpkin Eater

Nicole Flattery

Nicole Flattery on why Penelope Mortimer’s The Pumpkin Eater is the best book of 1962.

Best Book of 1982: The Years of Lyndon Johnson

Beth Gardiner

Beth Gardiner on why volume one of Robert Caro’s The Years of Lyndon Johnson series is the best book of 1982.

Alicja Gescinska | On Europe

Alicja Gescinska

‘Europe has proved to be at its best when it embraced unity in diversity.’

We Do Not Know Each Other

Lara Feigel

‘Is that what family is for? Helping you to understand what formed you?’

Michael Hofmann | On Europe

Michael Hofmann

‘For all its flimsiness, the cage takes itself terribly seriously, restricting access, glorying in the name of Fatherland.’

Romesh Gunesekera | On Europe

Romesh Gunesekera

‘Identity, it seemed, was not so self-determined after all.’

Srećko Horvat | On Europe

Srećko Horvat

‘We are the ones who are responsible for not repeating the mistakes of the past.’

Laurent Gaudé | On Europe

Laurent Gaudé

‘Fervent social awareness and civic passion have deserted today’s Europe.’ Translated from the French by Alison Anderson.

David Harrison | A London View

David Harrison

Whatever we make ugly, nature will correct.

The Fall of Saigon

James Fenton

‘I wanted to see a communist victory, which I presumed to be inevitable. I wanted to see the fall of a city.’

The Imam and the Indian

Amitav Ghosh

‘We were both travelling, he and I: we were travelling in the West. The only difference was that I had actually been there, in person.’

Where is Kigali?

Lindsey Hilsum

‘Evariste was the nightwatchman. He and I were alone in the house in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, when the killing started.’

Those Who Felt Differently

Ian Jack

‘Could grief for one woman have caused all this? We were told so.’

On the death of Diana.