The legacy of John Betjeman – and the consolation of humour in old age
What is the quickest way to start a punch-up between two British literary critics?
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Jonathan Smith
Jonathan Smith is a playwright and author, whose work includes plays such as Mr Betjeman's Class (Radio 4), and novels such as The English Lover (1977) and The Churchill Secret KBO (2015).
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Standing at Churchill’s bedside, a teacher’s first lesson and the joy of Santi Cazorla
I’ve just been round Chartwell again. It’s as wonderful as ever – the terraces, the gardens, the ground falling steeply…
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Why novelists have a duty of care to the past
As a novelist working from facts, you have a problem. History is suspect, as are the motives and methods…
ByCliff Morgan and Seamus Heaney: Poetry, romance and rugby
Modest, confident and at ease with themselves - the deaths of Welsh rugby icon Cliff Morgan and the Irish…
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