Don’t dumb down Dahl

Rather than bowdlerising books on moral grounds we should help children to navigate the history embedded in the books they read.

Bad Behaviour

Bad Behaviour is a gritty, intense psychological drama that embraces the complexity of intense teenage relationships.

Ariel

Sylvia Plath left a slim body of work, but remains one of the greatest and most influential poets of the 20th century.

The game’s not the same

Cricket has a conservative reputation, but has changed out of all recognition since Kerry Packer’s rebel circus introduced white balls, coloured clothes and floodlit one day matches, leaving many traditional fans of the sport behind.

In praise of Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck was one of the most influential, inventive and talented guitarists in rock history, so what made him so good?

A brief history of the beach read

This year’s summer reading lists – literary, historical, fantasy, thriller, and more – probably contain many novels that are “good of their kind”, regardless of their genre or cover design. And if they’re not, then you might enjoy them anyway.

Born to play football

Lionel Messi is a wonderful player who had a memorable World Cup, but the world’s greatest footballer – who played in the best ever team at the 1970 World Cup – has just died in Brazil.

Why we still need rituals

Far from being a relic of our pasts, rituals like Christmas and New Year’s Eve are more important than ever in building social solidarity in an increasingly atomised world.

Who’s around the manger?

Whatever the historical reality of Jesus’ birth, the depiction of the nativity scene around the world offers an insight into ways different cultures have inculcated Christianity.

The invisible hit

James Cameron’s Avatar was a blockbuster in its day – with people literally queuing around the block to see it – but left little cultural wake, so will its sequel match the hype of its publicity campaign?

St Mary’s shines brightly for Christmas

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney is set to transform the St Mary’s Cathedral forecourt into the spectacular centre of Christmas celebrations in Sydney.

Can’t stop the music

Hell is other people’s music, particularly contemporary pop and rap, but the data generated by plays on streaming services offers insights into broader aspects of human preferences and memory.