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Reformation 2017

To mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, writers tell us which modern institution or idea they would most like  to reform

  • Big Ben

    Simon Garfield: ‘Faster isn’t always better – we should all try living at a slower pace’

    On the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the author argues that, in an age of instant communication, we all need to reset our clocks
  • Immigration and passport control, Heathrow

    Philippe Sands: ‘We are citizens of the world – we need a global passport’

    On the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the professor of law calls for an end to the ‘absurd, monopoly power’ of the national passport
  • Tanya Byrne

    'BAME writers must tell their own stories – and we have to be disruptive'

    In a series to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, author Tanya Byrne says true diversity in books for young people is shamefully overdue
  • Mary Beard

    Christopher Kissane: ‘Historical myopia is to blame for the attacks on Mary Beard’

    On the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the historian calls for an end to the trivialisation of the lessons of the past
  • Cash

    Jenny Colgan: seriously, why do we still use cash?

    Five hundred years on from the Reformation, the novelist votes to consign all that tinny, grubby money festering in our purses to history
  • ‘I love babies and can’t wait to be an auntie’

    Laurie Penny: ‘Women shouldn’t apologise for the pitter-patter of tiny carbon footprints’

    In our series marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the author calls for an end to blaming mums for everything, including climate change
  • An MRI image of a brain

    Matt Haig: ‘There is no more shame in mental illness than having tonsilitis’

    Reformation 2017: In our series marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the writer says it is time to integrate mental and physical health
  • Elif Shafak.

    Elif Shafak: ‘It is time we stopped denigrating the public intellectual’

    The Turkish novelist warns against complacency and self-consciousness and urges western thinkers to speak out
  • Protestors March To Save The NHS<br>LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: A protester holds up a placard during a demonstration in support of the NHS in Tavistock Square on March 4, 2017 in London, England. Thousands march from Tavistock Square to Parliament today for a demonstration against hospital closures, privatisation and cuts to the NHS. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

    Henry Marsh: ‘It seems the present government is content to let the NHS slowly wither’

    In a series to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, neurosurgeon Henry Marsh calls for a royal commission on the funding of healthcare
  • .<br>‘Fun Palace’, Deptford, south London. - Fun Palace Makers testing out their `Giant Murder Investigation’ with local children 17-09-2014 Photograph by Martin Godwin For ARTS

    Stella Duffy: Excellence in the arts should not be defined by the metropolitan elite

    Stella Duffy, the writer and theatre-maker, calls for a radical rethink of cultural policy in the UK
  • Spa Green housing estate

    Lynsey Hanley: ‘Housing inequality kills’

    After the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the author of Estates argues for a radical overhaul of housing policy
  • First day of new parliament<br>The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod David Leakey enters the House of Commons, London, during its first sitting since the election. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 13, 2017. See PA story POLITICS Election. Photo credit should read: PA Wire

    Will Self: 'Britain needs a written constitution – I’m available to write it'

    In a series to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the author declares that it’s high time British politicans stopped muddling and meddling
  • Val McDermid

    Val McDermid: why Westminster should copy the Scottish electoral system

    In a new series to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the novelist argues for a more a representative parliament
  • Margaret Atwood.

    Margaret Atwood: Plastics are poisoning us. We need change, now

    In a new series marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the novelist calls for a revolt against petrochemical polymers
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