The pet I’ll never forget: Hollie McNish on her guinea pigs – ‘my mum fought off a ferret to save them’
Every week, my mother returned from work as a nurse with thank-you gifts from patients. Until this vicious 2am attack, I had never seen her heroism in action
May 2021
The best original photographs from the Observer
Original Observer photography
Dreaming of a better future? Ali Smith, Malcolm Gladwell and more on books to inspire change
Books interview
Hollie McNish: ‘I have to psych myself up to share’
Lockdown culture
Windows on the world: pandemic poems by Simon Armitage, Hollie McNish, Kae Tempest and more
June 2019
'We need to step up!' Five women pushing dance forward
Their moves are fresh, funny and stylish; their subjects include the climate crisis, gender politics and poetry. These electrifying choreographers are on the rise
February 2019
Generation next: the rise – and rise – of the new poets
With soaring sales and a younger, broader audience, poetry is on a high. What is behind the boom? Plus the fresh voices to read now
January 2018
Poetry is pleasing, even on YouTube
Letters: Poetry of all tastes and genres should be celebrated, say Angela Croft and Catherine Roome
Curses and verses: the spoken-word row splitting the poetry world apart
Don Paterson
A takedown of young, accessible female poets is brave. But remember, Keats and Auden were first met with as much bewilderment as praise, writes poet Don Paterson
Poetry world split over polemic attacking 'amateur' work by 'young female poets'
Writing in PN Review, Rebecca Watts has slammed the popularity of writers such as Rupi Kaur and Hollie McNish as ‘consumer-driven content’
December 2017
My unforgettable winter
Hollie McNish: ‘I couldn't believe that Santa knew my name. Then he pulled out the presents …’
How a childhood Christmas turned from frenzied excitement to utter despair
November 2017
Best books of 2017
Best books of 2017 – part one
‘Funny, outrageous, touching, intimate, gorgeous’ … writers from George Saunders to Ali Smith pick their favourite reads of the past year
September 2017
Appeal launched to collect poetry in endangered languages
Marking the UK’s National Poetry Day, an international call for readers to submit poems that could be lost to future generations has gone out
August 2017
The Guardian Books podcast
Edinburgh book festival with Colson Whitehead and others – books podcast
We visit the Edinburgh international book festival to speak with Man Booker nominee Whitehead, Norwegian author Lars Mytting and British novelist Rachel Seiffert
A 'gurt' plan: National Poetry Day to celebrate England's local words
From the Bristol word for great, via Merseyside’s ‘geg in’ and London’s ‘fam’, 12 authors are writing poems celebrating language tied to English regions
‘We felt we had no option’: school trips halted over terror fears
Charities are worried about the number of schools cancelling cultural outings, just when they are needed more than ever
July 2017
On my radar
On my radar: Nina Stibbe’s cultural highlights
Best holiday reads 2017, picked by writers – part two
June 2017
Brief letters
Don’t think twice, it’s only Bob borrowing
A life in ...
Hollie McNish: the politics and poetry of boyfriends, babies and breastfeeding
