Kerri ní Dochartaigh, born in 1983 in Derry when the Troubles were continuing to inflict pain and suffering on the citizens of Northern Ireland, has good reason to reflect on loss and division. Sean Sheehan Her formative years were spent amidst a traumatic period of murderous violence and […]
Book reviews
Jonathan Meades: a one-man awkward squad
There is no writer more spiky than Jonathan Meades but no single word can sum up the sui generis blend of rage, sarcasm, common sense and virtue that characterises his pronouncements on life, the universe and everything. Sean Sheehan Being a prose stylist, he can be unforgiving when encountering […]
Elizabeth Bowen: not for hyperfast reading
It’s tempting to trace the peculiarity of Elizabeth Bowen’s writing to the bifurcating circumstances of her life. She was born, in 1899, into an Anglo-Irish family whose ancestor had arrived with Cromwell’s invasion in the 17th century. Sean Sheehan Her father’s mental ill-health occasioned a childhood move to […]
Afghanistan: What will happen to women and girls?
It will not be easy for the Taliban to re-impose a regime like the one of 20 years ago. Under the protection of an aware and attentive international community, Afghan women now have a much wider and more varied arsenal of resources at their disposal to defend their rights. However, […]
Portals from underground
Visitors to London may think they are seeing the city when taking a selfie in front of Buckingham Palace or sitting on the steps of the fountain at Piccadilly Circus. Their time would be better spent with a copy of “Inventive vents” and, given how interesting it is, this guide […]
















