epitoneTotalitarianism is a political system in which the state holds total authority over society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life […]
Category: Blog
The marks of a thief-in-law
Brought to popular western culture in the contemporary film Eastern Promises directed by David Cronenberg, and now on display at the Saatchi Gallery in the […]
Why I wrote “The Distinguished Assassin”
As a postgraduate student of Russian literature at the University College London School of Slavonic and East European Studies in 1995, I will never forget […]
Maxima Mea Culpa
Alex Gibney’s new documentary, Maxima Mea Culpa, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this year, casts a critical eye on the issue of […]
What constitutes a really great work of fiction?
We have all done it, set down eagerly to read a new book and come away disappointed after the first few pages. It is not […]
The ‘Evil’ of Daniel Bartlam
To label the teenager Daniel Bartlam “evil”, as the Daily Mirror does this morning, is a gross oversimplification, not least because implicit in this label […]
The Tragedy and Delusion of KONY 2012’s Jason Russell
Jason Russell’s KONY 2012 film is indeed very powerful, playing perfectly to an idealistic youth with its simplistic, gung-ho Hollywood sentiment: that human evil can […]
Hirst and Emin: Artists of Deceit
I have a dear friend – an immensely gifted writer and artist – who not only produces wonderful work of real craft and quality but […]
The Ugly and Awkward Truth of ‘Occupy London’
One of the protester’s banners at Occupy London declares, “The 99% needs a safety net more than the 1% needs a security blanket.” Many mainstream […]
Putin’s Third Term
It appears that Putin will be President once more, despite the protestations of the Russian people who cry not only foul play but also that […]