People praise Shakespeare – for his heartbreaking tragedies, for his poetry, for his ability to translate the human condition into the written word. None of these is his greatest achievement. No; the smartest thing Shakespeare ever did was kill off Romeo and Juliet before they had to consider combining their book collections. Because, for literary-inclined star-cross’d lovers, such is a fate wo... Read more

Ugly: My Memoir by Robert Hoge Robert Hoge was born with a massive tumour, severely distorted facial features, legs that were twisted and useless, and a mother who didn’t think she could take her son home. His life could have been achingly sad, but with his family he filled it with joy, optimism and the naughtiness of boyhood. ‘One Saturday morning in early August 1972, my parents s... Read more