Latest news with #Don'tForgetWe'reHereForever:ANewGeneration'sSearchForReligion
Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Nigel wants YOU, secularism vs spirituality & how novel is experimental fiction?
How Reform plans to win Just a year ago, Nigel Farage ended his self-imposed exile from politics and returned to lead Reform. Since then, Reform have won more MPs than the Green Party, two new mayoralties, a parliamentary by-election, and numerous councils. Now the party leads in every poll and, as our deputy political editor James Heale reveals in our cover article, is already planning for government. The party's chair, tech entrepreneur Zia Yusuf, describes the movement as a 'start-up'; and like a start-up, Reform is scaling up at speed. Among the 676 councillors elected last month, a number are considered more than ready to stand as MPs. James also interviewed Reform's deputy leader, the MP Richard Tice, who said that the Reform movement cannot be thought of within the traditional left-right political spectrum. James joined the podcast to discuss further; you can also hear an extract from his interview with Richard. (1:01) Next: are young people turning to religion? A recent survey by the UK's Bible Society has found that over the past six years, Church attendance has risen by 50 per cent. There are signs that this is being driven by younger people – why are Gen Z turning to religion? A new book by Lamorna Ash, Don't Forget We're Here Forever: A New Generation's Search For Religion, seeks to answer this question and is reviewed in the magazine this week by Rupert Shortt. To unpack this potential Church revival, Rupert – the author of The Eclipse of Christianity and Why It Matters – joined the podcast, alongside Georgia Clarke, director of youth ministry at St Elizabeth of Portugal Roman Catholic Church in London. (21:25) And finally: is experimental fiction truly novel? Philip Hensher writes in the magazine this week about the modern trend of 'experimental literature'. For Philip, not only do these novels have incredibly rigid rules, but they are far from 'experimental' as he feels many of their components aren't truly new. To discuss further, Philip – who has been writing his own history of the novel – joined the podcast, alongside Simon Okotie. Simon, author of The Future of the Novel, is also a judge for the Goldsmiths Prize, which awards a novel which 'breaks the mould or extends the possibilities of the novel form'. (33:11) Plus: extracts from Tanya Gold's article on selling bathwater (17:54) and Madeline Grant's on the decline of period dramas (19:35). Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Which author does Patrick Galbraith think is 'cold and detached'
What book... ... are you reading now? I AM just coming to the end of Lamorna Ash's Don't Forget We're Here Forever: A New Generation's Search For Religion. Her first book, on the Cornish fishing community, written with wide-eyed wonder when she was in her early 20s, was excellent, and her second is even better. She has that great skill of writing narrative non-fiction in a nuanced way, subtly revealing the complexities of humanity. One stand-out moment is her presentation of a young guy who hears voices – the doctors want to prescribe antidepressants, his church tells him it's the Devil and they'll pray for him. Neither is presented as being better because, after all, which of these approaches will actually help him the most: faith or pills with myriad side effects? ... would you take to a desert island? I WOULD have to take John Williams's Stoner or Frederick Exley's A Fan's Notes. In both instances I would pore over their prose style and try to understand how they write so brilliantly. I did once spend eight days in a cave on an uninhibited Scottish island – I took Alexander Trocchi's Cain's Book ('one of the early junky books', in the words of William S Burroughs) and it was the most intense reading experience of my life. It was March and it was very cold. Having no phone reception is a great way to truly read. ...first gave you the reading bug? THE first book I really remember having a big impact on me was Gerald Durrell's My Family And Other Animals. It made me feel very acutely how great writing can conjure up a long-lost world and I loved Margot, of course, Gerald's sister. Some years later I went to Corfu and was intensely disappointed. Bad food, no Margot, no Spiro. I also have a very clear memory of staying off school and pretending I was sick so I could read Jane Eyre – Bertha Mason is a character I think of often. Growing up is realising Bertha was a victim. ...left you cold? A YEAR or so ago, it seemed as though everybody was going mad for Joan Didion. Sadly I've never really got the hype. She's got that sort of cold, detached, clever girl-in-the-year-above thing going on. I like writers who are excited by life.
