The esteem accorded to the UK’s 94-year-old monarch has much to do with her longevity. People well into their eighties and nineties tend not to provoke visceral antipathy to their very existence. It takes a Margaret Thatcher or General Pinochet to achieve that level of distinction. Sean Sheehan […]
Culture
The X in Malcolm X
When Cassius Clay, a descendant of a slave, became heavyweight boxing champion of the world in 1964 he rejected his slave name (‘I didn’t choose it and I don’t want it’) and, before becoming Muhammad Ali, referred to himself as Cassius X. Another Black American, Malcolm Little, also rejected his […]
Suffering in Syria
Syria has been in a state of war for ten years and President Bashar-al Assad is still in charge of the country. The increasing evidence of his military victory has come at a devastating price: over 400,000 Syrians killed and a refugee crisis named by the UN as the largest […]
Best not to think about it
Anna knows only too well that growing old means losing partners, friends and acquaintances. Her birthday party – and she won’t have many more – forms the opening chapter of “Beyond the Storm”. Sean Sheehan Diana Finley’s absorbing novel goes on to unfold the story of Anna’s life […]
Music and strength of an immigrant
In a journey throughout the impressive audio legacy of his hometown, Colombian artist Julián Mayorga releases his new album in which he seeks to go against musical clichés, in an act of protest that reclaims his roots with a unique style. Daniela Arias Baquero Born in Ibagué, the […]