Reviews of Habibi Funk 031, Kayatibu, and The Good Ones
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Fantasy fiction with Andy Hedgecock
SIMON DUFF relishes the cross contamination of Damien Hirst’s greatest hits by street artists from France and the US
In view of the grooming gangs inquiry, SIMON PARSONS feels the relevance of this powerful examination of trauma suffered at Medomsley Youth Detention Centre
JOHN GREEN doubts the motivations of a US war photographer who never questions why, or for whom, she is producing images of imperialist conflict
MARIA DUARTE reviews Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Hedda, The Mastermind, and Regretting You
TONY CONWAY welcomes a thrilling and concise history of Hope not Hate, that is also a manual full of tactical advice
PAUL DONOVAN welcomes an inspiring account of living with deafness that has important lessons for the treatment of deaf people in today’s UK
FORTY-FIVE years ago, my favourite books included story collections by M John Harrison and Christopher Priest and it's a testament to their craft and vision that both writers feature in my “best of” list for 2020.
Harrison’s The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again (Gollancz) is a novel of quiet revelation. It dabbles with literary realism, sf and horror and transcends the limitations of all three. Crammed with conundrums, conspiracies and fleeting illuminations from the unconscious, it centres on a faltering relationship.
Shaw is living in London and recovering from a breakdown. Despite his aimless existence and inability to form lasting relationships, he begins an affair with Victoria, who has “bleak red hair” and works in a morgue.
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FIONA O'CONNOR recommends a biography that is a beautiful achievement and could stand as a manifesto for the power of subtlety in art
ANDREW HEDGECOCK relishes visual storytelling with no respect for genres, movements or styles
ANDY HEDGECOCK recommends two collections of short stories that use a single location to connect the narratives, and explore the limits of our ability to understand the world
Two books and a film that examine cultural excavation and the impact of place on behaviour