Diary

Diary

24 September 2016 9:00 am

Are you here to seek political asylum?’ asked a clever young student after my lecture at the National University of…

Diary

22 September 2016 1:00 pm

‘Are you here to seek political asylum?’ asked a clever young student after my lecture at the National University of…

Diary

17 September 2016 9:00 am

The borderline between fact and fiction becomes ever hazier, I find. Last February, Daisy Goodwin — the author of the…

Diary

15 September 2016 1:00 pm

The borderline between fact and fiction becomes ever hazier, I find. Last February, Daisy Goodwin — the author of the…

Diary

10 September 2016 9:00 am

At weekends in our summerhouse at Quogue on Long Island, we go out to buy the newspapers and paper-cup coffee…

Diary

8 September 2016 1:00 pm

At weekends in our summerhouse at Quogue on Long Island, we go out to buy the newspapers and paper-cup coffee…

Diary

3 September 2016 9:00 am

European unions come and go. Back in 1794, one of the more improbable ones was founded when Corsica joined Britain…

Diary

1 September 2016 1:00 pm

European unions come and go. Back in 1794, one of the more improbable ones was founded when Corsica joined Britain…

Diary

27 August 2016 9:00 am

To Edinburgh for the book festival, where I am to explain Fools, Frauds and Firebrands to respectable middle-class Scots, who…

Diary

25 August 2016 1:00 pm

To Edinburgh for the book festival, where I am to explain Fools, Frauds and Firebrands to respectable middle-class Scots, who…

Diary

20 August 2016 9:00 am

Throughout our holiday, reports from Rio rippled in — last thing at night, first thing in the morning — a…

Diary

18 August 2016 1:00 pm

Throughout our holiday, reports from Rio rippled in — last thing at night, first thing in the morning — a…

Diary

12 August 2016 11:00 pm

Walking along the Brighton seafront, I was struck by posters advertising endless tribute acts; among them Suspiciously Elvis, the Small…

Diary

11 August 2016 1:00 pm

Walking along the Brighton seafront, I was struck by posters advertising endless tribute acts; among them Suspiciously Elvis, the Small…

Diary

6 August 2016 9:00 am

I was born in 1958 and turned 58 in June, so for the next five months my age coincides with…

Diary

4 August 2016 1:00 pm

I was born in 1958 and turned 58 in June, so for the next five months my age coincides with…

Diary

30 July 2016 9:00 am

When asked to write the Spectator diary, I diligently collated a list of topics to cover. But the problem is…

Diary

28 July 2016 1:00 pm

When asked to write the Spectator diary, I diligently collated a list of topics to cover. But the problem is…

Diary

23 July 2016 9:00 am

These days, you only need to turn your back for five minutes and you’ve missed another horror. The Turkish coup…

Diary

21 July 2016 1:00 pm

These days, you only need to turn your back for five minutes and you’ve missed another horror. The Turkish coup…

Diary

16 July 2016 9:00 am

I first met a boyish, sunny Tony Blair more than 20 years ago. Our encounters have always been slightly tense…

Diary

14 July 2016 1:00 pm

I first met a boyish, sunny Tony Blair more than 20 years ago. Our encounters have always been slightly tense…

Diary

9 July 2016 9:00 am

All hail social media. In January, I lost my beautiful pussycat Mr Mew, and I have spent six long months…

Diary

7 July 2016 1:00 pm

All hail social media. In January, I lost my beautiful pussycat Mr Mew, and I have spent six long months…

Diary

2 July 2016 9:00 am

Referendum day is as nondescript and wet as the day before, happily spent in Cambridge at my son’s Leo’s graduation.…