All of China Mieville’s fiction is worth reading for its political, philosophical and cultural resonances, “the City & The City” and “Embassytown” are extraordinary.   Sean Sheehan   He is also a compelling writer of non-fiction and “A spectre, haunting”, a prequel of sorts to his earlier “October”, is a […]

Some places trade profitably on their stereotyped image: tourists are not allowed to forget that Paris is romantic, London dynamic, New York exciting. Conversely, some locales struggle to overcome negative connotations.   Sean Sheehan   Medellin or Glasgow are no less attractive than others in their countries and in some […]

Mao Zedong saw the opportunity of radical change when the existing social and political disorder was in a state of critical disarray: “There is great disorder under heaven; the situation is excellent”.   Sean Sheehan   Zizek goes a step further by noting that, while disorder under heaven is once […]

Anna Mendelssohn, whose poetry has also appeared under the names Anne Mendelson and Grace Lake, was born near Manchester in 1948. Various collections of poems appeared before her death in 2009 and now “I’m working here” brings together all her work in a meticulously prepared edition.   Sean Sheehan   […]

Wood, gold and oil have made Peru prosperous but the human cost has been high and is borne by the poorest people –the indigenous, that is- in the country. These are families who have not left the land to find employment and better prospects in urban areas.   Sean Sheehan […]