Articles
—
I get book reviews and travel pieces commissioned in advance. When it comes to features, I write them first, and then
sell them afterwards.
All
Reviews
Features
Travel
Review
Careless whimper
Daily Mail
,
Jun 2026
Review
Time to man up
Literary Review
,
Jun 2026
Review
Special relationship
Daily Mail
,
Apr 2026
Review
Family matters
Literary Review
,
Apr 2026
Review
Raise your glasses
The Spectator
,
Mar 2026
Review
The sound of silence
The Oldie
,
Feb 2026
Review
Call me a stickler
The Oldie
,
Jan 2026
Review
Jung at heart
The Guardian
,
Jan 2026
Review
Focus on the light
The Spectator
,
Jan 2026
Feature
The art of science
The Critic
,
Dec 2025
Travel
Mann for all seasons
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2025
Feature
The magic of science
The Daily Telegraph
,
Nov 2025
Feature
Friday night live
Idler
,
Nov 2025
Review
Anyone for Tennyson?
The Oldie
,
Oct 2025
Review
His last bow
Literary Review
,
Oct 2025
Review
The straitjacket of art
Oct 2025
Feature
Shakespeare of science
The Oldie
,
Oct 2025
Review
Was it just the War?
The Oldie
,
Jul 2025
Review
A difficult hero
The Oldie
,
Jun 2025
Feature
Notting Hill, actually
The Times
,
Jun 2025
Feature
Rebel with a cause
Perspective
,
Jun 2025
Review
Deep waters
The Oldie
,
May 2025
Review
Sleazy grifters
The Guardian
,
May 2025
Review
Pride of the KGB
The Spectator
,
Apr 2025
Review
Unliking the Like
The Times
,
Apr 2025
Review
All the King’s men
The Guardian
,
Feb 2025
Review
Get on with it
Literary Review
,
Feb 2025
Travel
Ales and arrows
Daily Mail
,
Feb 2025
Feature
The Kierkegaard lens
The Spectator
,
Feb 2025
Review
There was no sorcerer
Literary Review
,
Dec 2024
Feature
Talking with Mikhail
The Times
,
Nov 2024
Travel
A beautiful Dane
Daily Mail
,
Jul 2024
Travel
The Fourth Man
Daily Mail
,
Jun 2024
Feature
The cuckoo clock
Engelsberg Ideas
,
Jun 2024
Feature
The purity of massaoke
The Spectator
,
May 2024
Travel
Price of Venice
Daily Mail
,
Apr 2024
Travel
Monster of the seas
Daily Mail
,
Apr 2024
Travel
The snow less travelled
Daily Mail
,
Apr 2024
Feature
Talking is thinking
The Spectator
,
Apr 2024
Feature
Let’s talk about science
The Spectator
,
Mar 2024
Feature
The artist and the conman
The Times
,
Feb 2024
Feature
Hounds of Zaroff
Engelsberg Ideas
,
Feb 2024
Feature
If writers ruled
The Spectator
,
Jan 2024
Feature
The art of blackboards
Nautilus
,
Jan 2024
Travel
Old is the new new
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2023
Feature
The method sculptor
The Sunday Times
,
Nov 2023
Review
Much ado about noting
The Daily Telegraph
,
Oct 2023
Feature
Underground Orpheus
The Spectator
,
Oct 2023
Feature
The most beautiful game
The Spectator
,
Sep 2023
Review
Socrates was a lightweight
The Oldie
,
Aug 2023
Review
Who saw them French-kissing?
The Spectator
,
Aug 2023
Review
It never caught on
The Spectator
,
Jul 2023
Review
He lived in a hole
The Spectator
,
Jun 2023
Review
There had to be racism
Review by Nicholas Hodgkinson
,
Jun 2023
Review
Do the drugs work?
The Guardian
,
May 2023
Feature
Goodbye, Bavarian rose
The Oldie
,
May 2023
Review
Animals and us
The Guardian
,
Apr 2023
Review
Her furry rival
The Oldie
,
Apr 2023
Review
Yo, I don’t wanna fight Cerberus
The Spectator
,
Mar 2023
Feature
Inventing cordite
Nautilus
,
Mar 2023
Travel
The real Happy Valley
Daily Mail
,
Feb 2023
Feature
Science without borders
Troitsky Variant
,
Feb 2023
Review
Hitler was a fan
Argo
,
Jan 2023
Review
Are you not entertained?
The Oldie
,
Jan 2023
Feature
Young Casanova
Port Magazine
,
Jan 2023
Travel
Thwack! Thwack!
Daily Mail
,
Dec 2022
Feature
The unluckiest Tube stop
The Spectator
,
Dec 2022
Feature
See it, say it, haunted
The Critic
,
Dec 2022
Review
Dine hard
Literary Review
,
Oct 2022
Review
The questions will ever echo
The Spectator
,
Aug 2022
Review
Who wants to live forever?
The Sunday Telegraph
,
Aug 2022
Feature
The real monster
Port Magazine
,
Aug 2022
Feature
Dark heart of Deliverance
Daily Mail
,
Jul 2022
Travel
Carry on campervanning
Daily Mail
,
Jun 2022
Feature
Pick your own adventure
WhyNow
,
Jun 2022
Feature
What a gas
Financial Times
,
Jun 2022
Travel
Europe’s cheapest beach
Daily Mail
,
May 2022
Feature
A ballad for Reading Gaol
The Daily Telegraph
,
May 2022
Travel
Antalya adventure
Daily Mail
,
Apr 2022
Feature
An Italian town in Greece
Argo
,
Apr 2022
Travel
Yes, you Moroc-can
Daily Mail
,
Mar 2022
Feature
She invented superheroes
The Guardian
,
Mar 2022
Feature
Cinema’s greatest scene
The Spectator
,
Mar 2022
Feature
White on white on white
Daily Mail
,
Feb 2022
Travel
Yes Yucatan!
Daily Mail
,
Jan 2022
Travel
Qatar hero
Daily Mail
,
Jan 2022
Review
There sleeps the Marbled King
The Spectator
,
Dec 2021
Feature
The house of laughter
The Times
,
Dec 2021
Travel
The glee of duty-free!
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2021
Feature
How Bond beat the Soviets
The Times
,
Nov 2021
Review
Unrequested feedback
Literary Review
,
Jul 2021
Travel
The joys of Jersey
Daily Mail
,
Jun 2021
Review
Paradise regained
The Spectator
,
Jan 2021
Travel
I think, therefore I Lambo
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2020
Feature
The Whitechapel Wilde
The Daily Telegraph
,
Nov 2020
Travel
Greece in a time of Covid
Daily Mail
,
Jul 2020
Feature
Who created the Odyssey?
Argo
,
May 2020
Review
The Special Relationship
Mar 2020
Travel
Vilnius on a budget
Daily Mail
,
Mar 2020
Review
Far Away
Feb 2020
Review
The Whip
Feb 2020
Review
The Taming of the Shrew
Feb 2020
Review
Asking for It
Feb 2020
Review
A Christmas Carol
Dec 2019
Review
Snow White
Dec 2019
Review
Peter Pan
Dec 2019
Review
A Taste of Honey
Dec 2019
Review
Midnight Movie
Dec 2019
Review
The Boy in the Dress
Dec 2019
Review
When the Crows Visit
Nov 2019
Review
May owls nest in your attic
The Spectator
,
Nov 2019
Travel
Sri Lanka after the bombing
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2019
Travel
Stockholm on a budget
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2019
Feature
The banality of Instapoetry
The Spectator
,
Nov 2019
Feature
The first superheroes
The Spectator
,
Nov 2019
Review
Groan Ups
Oct 2019
Feature
The horror of Instapoetry
The Sunday Times
,
Oct 2019
Feature
He’ll be back
The Spectator
,
Oct 2019
Review
My Beautiful Laundrette
Sep 2019
Travel
Bratislava on a budget
Daily Mail
,
Sep 2019
Travel
City in the sky
Daily Mail
,
Sep 2019
Review
Big: The Musical
Aug 2019
Review
Evita
Aug 2019
Review
Peter Pan
Aug 2019
Review
Kiss Me Kate
Aug 2019
Feature
Batman’s darkest secret
The Sunday Times
,
Aug 2019
Review
Barber Shop Chronicles
Jul 2019
Review
Life of Pi
Jul 2019
Review
Rust
Jul 2019
Travel
Et Tui?
Daily Mail
,
Jul 2019
Travel
Palermo on a budget
Daily Mail
,
Jul 2019
Review
The Pope
Jun 2019
Review
King Hedley II
Jun 2019
Travel
Venice on a budget
Daily Mail
,
Jun 2019
Travel
A guide to airport hotels
Daily Mail
,
Jun 2019
Review
Jude
May 2019
Review
Inspired by a manly, middle-aged Sean Connery
The Spectator
,
May 2019
Travel
A guide to airport lounges
Daily Mail
,
May 2019
Review
The Crucible
Apr 2019
Review
Richard III
Mar 2019
Review
Equus
Mar 2019
Review
The Son
Mar 2019
Travel
The gentle art of haggling
Daily Mail
,
Mar 2019
Review
9 to 5: The Musical
Feb 2019
Review
Mother Courage and Her Children
Feb 2019
Review
First dig two graves
The Spectator
,
Feb 2019
Travel
Re-living A Star is Born
Daily Mail
,
Feb 2019
Review
Aspects of Love
Jan 2019
Review
Time is Love / Tiempo es Amor
Jan 2019
Travel
NOT a singles holiday
Daily Mail
,
Jan 2019
Review
Timon of Athens
Dec 2018
Review
Aladdin
Dec 2018
Review
Don Quixote
Nov 2018
Review
Dealing with Clair
Nov 2018
Travel
In search of Santa
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2018
Review
Death of a Salesman
Oct 2018
Review
Charlie Ward
Sep 2018
Review
Spiral
Aug 2018
Review
Switzerland
Aug 2018
Review
The Secret Garden
Aug 2018
Travel
Carry on camping
Daily Mail
,
Aug 2018
Review
Spamilton
Jul 2018
Review
End of the Pier
Jul 2018
Review
Machinal
Jul 2018
Review
As You Like It
Jul 2018
Review
The King and I
Jul 2018
Review
Romeo and Juliet
May 2018
Review
The Whale
May 2018
Review
Trailing clouds of perfume
The Spectator
,
May 2018
Review
Rasheeda Speaking
Apr 2018
Review
Frankenstein
Mar 2018
Review
The Great Wave
Mar 2018
Review
I’m in danger of becoming a flat-mind bore
The Spectator
,
Mar 2018
Review
Angry
Feb 2018
Review
I’m very good at sex
Literary Review
,
Feb 2018
Travel
Happiness is a water park
Daily Mail
,
Feb 2018
Review
Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
Jan 2018
Travel
Flexi-catering in the Alps
Daily Mail
,
Jan 2018
Feature
A smashing time in Corfu
The Sunday Times
,
Jan 2018
Feature
Always carry a blade
Medium
,
Jan 2018
Review
Cell Mates
Dec 2017
Travel
A hot pouch of peppermint
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2017
Travel
The origin of Pooh
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2017
Review
Jane Eyre
Oct 2017
Review
They would bugger the vanquished foe
The Spectator
,
Sep 2017
Review
The largest destruction of art that history had seen
The Spectator
,
Sep 2017
Review
Witness for the prosecution
The Spectator
,
Jul 2017
Review
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole: The Musical
Jun 2017
Travel
In search of the Durrells #2
Daily Mail
,
May 2017
Travel
Albania without tears
Daily Mail
,
Jan 2017
Review
I think it may be a masterpiece
The Spectator
,
Dec 2016
Travel
Cortina on a budget
Daily Mail
,
Dec 2016
Feature
Nine qualities of cool
The Irish Times
,
Nov 2016
Feature
The true meaning of irony
Slate
,
Oct 2016
Feature
Why old people are cooler
The Daily Telegraph
,
Oct 2016
Feature
The rockstar of pop art
Financial Times
,
Sep 2016
Travel
In search of the Durrells #1
Daily Mail
,
Jun 2016
Feature
Meet Method Writing
The Independent
,
Feb 2016
Feature
5 French to name-drop
The Sunday Times
,
Jan 2016
Travel
Tall tales from the Balkans
Daily Mail
,
Dec 2015
Feature
Cultural name fatigue
The Independent
,
Dec 2015
Feature
The genius of Annie Hall
The Irish Times
,
Dec 2015
Travel
Malta witty
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2015
Travel
Skiing with Bond
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2015
Feature
In praise of bad sex
The Sunday Times
,
Nov 2015
Review
She always has two ravens at the ready
The Spectator
,
Oct 2015
Review
If you have tears, prepare to shed them now
The Spectator
,
Oct 2015
Travel
Locations from Spectre
Daily Mail
,
Oct 2015
Feature
Our anti-intellectualism
The Sunday Times
,
Oct 2015
Feature
The rise of the God beard
GQ
,
Oct 2015
Feature
Copyright law is an ass
The Daily Beast
,
Oct 2015
Feature
In praise of the Greeks
New Statesman
,
Oct 2015
Review
That Et In Arcadia ache
The Spectator
,
Sep 2015
Feature
The enemy within
The Sunday Times
,
Aug 2015
Feature
Remembering Cumbie
The Sunday Times
,
Aug 2015
Feature
Curse of the Matterhorn
Newsweek
,
Jul 2015
Review
He reveals nothing about himself
The Spectator
,
Nov 2014
Review
The greatest screenwriter
The Spectator
,
Nov 2014
Travel
All the time in the world
Daily Mail
,
Nov 2014
Feature
Screenwriting is dead
The Spectator
,
Nov 2014
Travel
In search of Moroni
Daily Mail
,
Oct 2014
Review
Anyone for Tennessee?
The Spectator
,
Sep 2014
Feature
In praise of anti-celebrities
The Sunday Times
,
Aug 2014
Feature
Music’s greatest song
The Sunday Times
,
Aug 2014
Review
It isn’t easy getting married
The Spectator,
,
Jul 2014
Travel
World Cup, German-style
Daily Mail
,
Jul 2014
Review
He went to Hell and back for a laugh
The Spectator
,
May 2014
Travel
Israeli good!
Daily Mail
,
May 2014
Review
I have a confession to make
The Spectator
,
Mar 2014
Travel
Zermatt on a budget
Daily Mail
,
Dec 2013
Review
Ah, Christmas with Hitler
The Spectator
,
Nov 2013
Review
Christ. Socrates. Galen?
The Spectator
,
Nov 2013
Feature
Reading in Transylvania
The Spectator
,
Sep 2013
Review
His face fell like a soufflé
The Spectator
,
Aug 2013
Review
What is it about islands?
The Spectator
,
Aug 2013
Feature
All hail, Sealand
The Independent
,
May 2013
Review
Did your mother ever work at the palace?
The Spectator
,
Mar 2013
Review
Pyrrhic victories
The Spectator
,
Feb 2013
Review
Indian giver
The Spectator
,
Feb 2013
Review
Understated elegance
The Spectator
,
Jan 2013
Review
The gulf of greatness
The Spectator
,
Dec 2012
Review
Man of many parts
The Spectator
,
Nov 2012
Review
The stuff of dreams
The Spectator
,
Nov 2012
Review
Sweetest songs of saddest thoughts
The Spectator
,
Nov 2012
Review
Models of impropriety
The Spectator
,
Nov 2012
Feature
The island of Scientology
The Spectator
,
Oct 2012
Review
Not grinning but scowling
The Spectator
,
Jun 2012
Review
The dirty dozen
The Spectator
,
Jun 2012
Feature
An old man of Corfu
The Spectator
,
Jun 2012
Review
A funny thing happened to me on the way to the forum
The Spectator
,
Apr 2012
Review
Who’s the real monster?
The Spectator
,
Dec 2011
Review
What happened to Mallory?
The Spectator
,
Nov 2011
Feature
Swimming from Albania
The Guardian
,
Oct 2011
Review
Holy ground
Literary Review
,
Jul 2007
Review
How to be a man
Literary Review
,
Nov 2006
Review
I wandered lonely
Literary Review
,
Jun 2006
Review
I’m Tom Hodgkinson
Literary Review
,
Aug 2004
Review
Body double
Literary Review
,
Jul 2003
Review
Undiscovered country
Literary Review
,
Jun 2003
Review
A handcuff?
Literary Review
,
May 2003
Review
Not everyone agreed
Literary Review
,
Nov 2002
Review
He was not broken
Literary Review
,
Nov 2002
Feature
Maraini interview
The Guardian
,
Jun 2001
Review
Scoolboys in the snow
The Guardian
,
Oct 2000
Review
But what did they eat?
Literary Review
,
Oct 2000
Review
Byron’s sister
The Guardian
,
Aug 2000
Review
Rock of ages
Literary Review
,
Jun 2000
