Interesting

Our issue this week! It features reads on Sunak v Starmer, Macron's gamble, Baillie Gifford and Swift-mania; pieces by John Burn-Murdoch, Jenny Kleeman and Janice Turner, plus Lemony Snicket, a tartan-appropriating backing dancer, coprolite, and more!

📢 Relax, I have all your non-election, non-Euros news for the weekend... On the The Week UK podcast with me this week, ace guests Mariana Vieira Jamie Timson & leafarbuthnot 👇 theweek.com/podcasts/the-w…

I’m in the Mail today with a review of a book about politeness!

I reviewed Treasure for the NS! I didn't love it.

This conspires to be both a father-daughter road trip movie and an exploration of the traumatic legacy of the genocide. It fulfils neither brief. 🍿 leafarbuthnot reviews Treasure newstatesman.com/culture/film/2…

Lovely eulogy by Martin Amis's wife, who could clearly write beautifully too thetimes.com/life-style/cel…

I wrote this about why we should be nicer to politicians thetimes.com/comment/column…

I'm in the New Statesman today (and the mag next week) reviewing The Bikeriders! In which Austin Butler smoulders, pouts, howls, and fails to convey any sort of personality. Comer's pretty good tho. newstatesman.com/culture/film/2…

Key chart to keep in mind as the Conservatives suffer their worst ever defeat: The Tories didn’t lose this election because they were too right wing on some issues or too left wing on others. They lost because voters of all stripes judged them to be incompetent and dishonest.

Watch this it’s fascinating - I asked James Timpson what he’d do about prisons and sentencing if he was in charge. He believes only a third of prisoners in jail should definitely be there. He’s now in charge of prisons (but not sentencing).

Anyone know who is handling the UK publicity for Twisters?

🎧Are Donald Trump's legal obstacles melting away? Could self-testing replace the cervical smear? And what kind of world is Katy Perry living in? Holden Frith, leafarbuthnot and Jamie Timson join Olly Mann 🎙️ on the latest episode of The Week Unwrapped. trib.al/tU4Vsp3

I'm in the New Statesman this week with a review of Twisters! Bad weather, good Glen Powell. newstatesman.com/culture/film/2…

“Now, after nearly 30 years, Twister is back – with an ‘s’ on the end of its name, a new cast, and even better special effects.” 🍿 leafarbuthnot reviews Twisters newstatesman.com/culture/film/2…

I’ll be on Times radio at 3.50pm talking about some new books!

I’m in the Mail on Sunday today with a review of the disturbing and stimulating new book The singularity is nearer by Ray Kurzweil!

Do you currently work in hospitality, doing a job that rarely gets written about? (KP, delivery driver, recipe tester, health and safety inspector?!) I'm looking to commission more "Insider's Notebook" columns for autumn. Please get in touch: [email protected]

Lovely gentle poem in the The Spectator