People
Hanif: writing courses are mental hospitals
Hanif Kureishi (pictured), the novelist and screenwriter, has launched a withering attack on university creative writing courses during a talk at the Hay-on-Wye literary festival. Kureishi, himself a research associate on the creative writing course at Kingston University in London, said: "One of the things you notice is that when... [continued]
Grant lawyers up for Chelsea split
Avram Grant (pictured), the Chelsea coach who was sacked at the weekend following his failure to win the English Premier League and Champions League tournaments, has hired one of Britain's most high-profile divorce lawyers, Anthony Julius, to help him negotiate better severance terms from Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich.... [continued]
Sydney Pollack dies aged 73
The Academy Award-winning director Sydney Pollack (pictured with Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman at the premiere of The
Interpreter) has died in California at 73, following a battle with cancer. He was best known for Out of Africa starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep -
which won him best director... [continued]
In pictures: Sydney Pollack 1934-2008 
Minghella's death marks end of a partnership
Recount: return of the hanging chads
Will Self clashes over breasts
Will Self was tackled about his use of recondite vocabulary in his novels at the Hay literary festival at the weekend, particularly his use of the word "orchidaceous" to describe breasts in his most recent book, Butt. "It just means really titty tits," he replied. "Why didn't I... [continued]
Boris snubs Africa Day celebration
The Tory high command feared it… and now it’s happened. After four weeks in office, Boris Johnson has walked into his first big trap. The recently elected London mayor has been accused of snubbing Africa Day, which was held yesterday at Trafalgar Square, a not wholly wise move considering his... [continued]
Chapman brothers to film art-world satire
The craze among British artists to make movies - at the weekend, Turner Prize-winner Steve McQueen picked up the Camera D'Or, one of the biggest prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, for his directorial debut, Hunger - is being followed by Jake (pictured, left) and Dinos Chapman (right), the brothers... [continued]
In brief: Warhol’s Mao goes on display - with record price-tag
A 14-foot painting by Andy Warhol (pictured, right) of Chairman Mao (left) has gone on display at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with an asking price of $120m - $50m more than the artist’s auction record… While the Duke of Edinburgh, like the Queen, is... [continued]
Bridget Jones blamed for chardonnay decline
Helen Fielding’s comic creation Bridget Jones may have deftly captured the chaotic lifestyles of single, thirty-something women, but in doing so she appears to have sounded the death knell for chardonnay. According to the wine writer Oz Clarke (pictured), a notable drop in sales of the wine can be directly... [continued]
