Freebies at Libramont hospital café are at the edge of good taste: the syringe-biro. Belgian humour, yes, but the filet américain with cornichons, pickled onions and tabasco sauce (not pictured) is top notch. As is the dessert menu, here seen trolling the gastric bypass poster

Delighted and honoured to have won the Scott Moncrieff Prize with Stephen Romer for our translation of Gilles Ortlieb. Thanks to Arc publications, Jean Boase-Beier and to Sean O'Brien for his introduction.

View from our grandparents/uncles/aunts yard, unchanged in 2 centuries. Uncle and aunt next door, en face +cousins all round. We said goodbye to Guy yesterday: caught in the window of his house in 2020. In the face-off between the permanent & the passing, put money on both.

Trump and Vance bullied and humiliated Zelensky – who is fighting for the survival of his nation – broadcast live worldwide. Starmer has invited Trump for a state visit. We should think twice before rolling out the red carpet.

Creepy spring find as I divide the geum

James Ensor, born 13 April 1860, buried here at Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Duinenkerk, Our Lady of the Dunes, Mariakerke (Ostend). This was April 11/12/13 last year - they fixed his tomb just in time for the anniversary.

TORCH Oxford was privileged to welcome Dr Sally Bayley Sally Bayley to Book at Lunchtime yesterday for an astonishingly vibrant performance Humanities Division University of Oxford Oxford Students Faculty of English Lady Margaret Hall Hertford College, Oxford Patrick McGuinness next 28 May torch.ox.ac.uk/event/book-at-…

“Beautifully written, with an even more beautiful message, about human connection that’s so needed in the world right now.” We’re delighted to award Clear by Carys Davies the 2025 Ondaatje Prize, recognising the best literary work which evokes the spirit of a place.

First taste of the cover and colours of Ghost Stations, out in September from Charles Boyle. Essays on trains, stations, places, not-quite-places, centres and perpheries, imaginary poets and real artists, memory and forgetting. Ghost signs and missing letters.

I remember losing all confidence in Fat Boy Slim as an artist when I realised his weight actually doesn't really fluctuate.

For almost a year, Labour in Wales has repeatedly voted AGAINST Plaid Cymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿’s calls to scrap the two child benefit cap. The people of Wales will not be fooled into thinking they’ve had a sudden change of heart. The First Minister never leads, she only follows.

Copies of Ghost Stations: Essays and Branchlines, out soon from @cbeditions Here seen on the traditional folding carriage table somewhere between London and Reading, and fresh from the far from ghostly Paddington.

That time of year again: a card from Gilles Ortlieb wishing me a Woippy birthday.

'This is more of a comment than a question '

Statement - Durham Miners Gala and Reform UK durhamminers.org/statement_durh…

Submissions for the 2025 R. Gapper book prize are now open. The closing date is 29 August 2025. For more information about the prize and how publishers can submit an entry, please see the link below: sfs.ac.uk/prizes/r-gappe…

3 Welsh columnists celebrating the end of up to 33 years writing for the Daily Post. Reach PLC decided not to publish a column about #PalestineGenocide so all 3 resigned. At least 178 journalists have been killed in Gaza in the past 21 months- it's the least we could do for them.

Wtf country

They're going through all this sober? theguardian.com/us-news/2025/a…