Literature

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times - pretty much any time you sit down and try to think of a memorable opening line to anything you write. Indeed there is no more important task than nailing a good opening line to a book. Great first lines from novels, such as Charles Dickens' "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," from A Tale of Two Cities or Jane Austen's "It is...

Controversial author Sam Jane Brown has predicted the coming of "One World Religion" that will be imposed upon humanity by the United Nations. In her religious-themed mystery "Forgotten Word" the story alludes to a series of suspicious events that have taken place under the auspices of the UN in recent years — many of which strongly suggest that the global diplomatic body actually harbors sinister plans to eradicate traditional Christianity and replace it with a new, amoral faith based on the...

It’s a little hard to explain .... but we’ll get there in the end. Time’s what we’ve got plenty of you see. Those noises from next door? Just to wet the whistle, in a manner of speaking. Gets the old adrenalin flowing. It’s Masher. We call him that but he’s getting pretensions, wants to style himself Olaf the Great. Not that he’s Scandinavian or anything – in fact he comes from Wales – but Welsh is torture to pronounce –if...

By Rob Foster @futuresinfinite There’s no doubting that when it comes to political fashion, devolution is one of this Parliament’s essential items.  Following the Scottish referendum, the much-vaunted “Northern Powerhouse” schemes & the introduction of the Cities &Local Government Devolution Bill, the recent deadline for local proposals to be submitted to DCLG saw over thirty detailed bids put forward.  Cities, regions, counties & as yet unnamed combinations of local areas in England are bidding to assume greater powers & responsibilities from...

Rob Foster @FuturesInfinite interviews Simon Parker author of Taking Power Back Published by Policy Press Local Devolution in England is at the forefront of political thinking at the moment, although like all seemingly overnight sensations it’s taken a long time to arrive. Do you think its time has finally come, that genuine devolution really is going to happen? What would you say are the biggest obstacles? Well devolution is happening & it is real, & we’re seeing substantial powers going...

By Dr Katy Shaw @DrKatyShaw  The financial world has long been a source of fascination for writers, and this intensified in the wake of the credit crunch. In my new monograph Crunch lit I argue that following the financial crisis, literature was mobilised as an effective means of cultural resistance—a site for the struggle over the legitimacy of reality. Rewriting events, literary representations offer fictionalized micro-histories of a highly contested period that engage in a dialogic interaction with the lived fallout...

By Grant Bailey (@GrantDBailey) Released 30th November 2015 via Function Books. Today Function Books are proud to announce the forthcoming release of Storm Static Sleep: A Pathway Through Post-Rock. This book is believed to be the most detailed account of history and development of the post-rock genre to-date. The book (written by Jack Chuter) chronicles the evolution of post-rock and it's rise in popularity through chapters covering the bands and festivals that have defined the genre including: Talk Talk, Slint,...

The Truth of Revolution, Brother  by Lisa Sofianos, Robin Ryde and Charlie Waterhouse is both an immersive read and art book. Over 288 pages, 30 in-depth interviews are mixed with striking illustration, intimate black and white photography and original art from several of the book’s interviewees. The interviews and analysis gently reveal proven strategies for alternative living more relevant now than they were in punk’s 70s/80s heyday. Artistic highlights include new work by Crass’s Gee Vaucher and Penny Rimbaud, David...

By Rob Foster @futuresinfinite Inequality: What can be done? by Anthony Atkinson, published by Harvard University Press Civic Capitalism by Colin Hay & Anthony Payne, published by Polity Press Issues of economic inequality continue to be at the forefront of much of the political discourse in the UK and beyond. There may be broad consensus that income inequality is a problem (although how large or important an issue is a matter of conjecture), but the causes & possible cures for...