Category: Articles
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The colours of corruption
[This article was first published in Catalonia Today magazine, Feb. 2014] Europe is nauseous from the cancer of corruption. Yes, it still has the glories of its art, its food, its history and its abundant cultural riches – but it is also shot-through with corrupt men and women. And I don’t just mean…
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Why Europe?
[A version of this article was first published in Catalonia Today, January 2014.] (Photo from Desmontando Mentiras, Global Voices online.) Europe exists. It is certainly under great pressure as an economic group (and therefore also as a political construction) but the past has shown that, as an idea and an ideal, Europe exists. When I…
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Knots & Crosses/Juliet Naked
[A version of this article was first published in Catalonia Today magazine in December2013.] In Knots and Crosses, the prolific Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin sets up the absorbing and sometimes slightly unappealing character of detective John Rebus. In this first book in the series, we learn that Rebus’ father has just died,…
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Education in Catalonia
[A version of this article was first published in Catalonia Today magazine in Sept. 2013.] This month thousands of parents across Catalonia will be almost cheering with relief, but most teachers will be feeling a mixture of dread and anticipation. The long summer break is now over and a new school year is…
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SNUG/Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life
[A version of this article was first published in Catalonia Today magazine in September 2013.] Matthew Tree, the prolific British/Catalan writer has just published SNUG, his first novel in his native English. In this work, he shows that he is one of the few writers born in England who is brave enough to…
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Becoming our father
[Photo by Javier Beraluce] (Written for and inspired by Matt) Yes, I am now attracted to the mute certainty Of arms as oars The sunstroke back too and the smell of Bruts When you stammered for the right words you found (when every little nail starts to grow inwards and every little injustice is anticipated)…
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The Cellist of Sarajevo/ A Fly in the Ointment
[An edited version of this article was first published in Catalonia Today magazine, April 2013.] Conflict, both external and internal, is a major theme in the two titles this month. In Galloway’s international bestseller, to cross the street is to risk being shot by a sniper and in Fine’s lies and double-dealing becomes…
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The Girl on the Landing/Solar
[An edited version of this article was first published in Catalonia Today magazine, May 2013.] Two books on from the commercial success of his first, “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” Paul Torday has, with “The Girl on the Landing,” written a more conventional tale about a man who experiences a new mental and emotional…
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Singular
fold tomorrows rain and under the loose world night play blind on young ground ………… one earth full of single stars blown here by unrelenting years those seas of sorrows know written in liars lines saying come and become the past full like her darkest pity to show such thought is mine ………. might I…
Brett Hetherington 