Jack the Ripper, the 19th century serial killer, has become almost mythologised in popular culture, spawning or influencing countless works of fiction and film, and an entire field of “Ripperology”. Less attention is paid, however, to his victims, the exact number of whom remains unknown. The “canonical five”, the five women whose murders are considered […]
Even if you don’t know much about the Forward Prizes for Poetry, the chances are you will have heard of some of the previous winners. Founded by the publisher and philanthropist William Sieghart, compiler of The Poetry Pharmacy, in 1992, the prizes have among their alumni Ocean Vuong (Night Sky with Exit Wounds), Claudia Rankine […]
Meg, the protagonist of Maria Goodin’s novel Nutmeg, was brought up on whimsical stories told to her by her cookery-obsessed mother, Valerie – stories of being bitten by crab cakes, and floating to the ceiling with the lightness of her home-baked meringues. Now, Meg is 21 and having renounced fairy tales following derision in the […]
The Booker Prize for Fiction, love it or hate it, is a big deal. Not only is it highly prestigious, but publicity gained from winning the prize can generate a significant boost in sales: Milkman, by last year’s winner Anna Burns, sold almost 10,000 copies in the UK alone in the week following the win. […]