Columnists

Latest

William Keegan
Keir Starmer’s losses summon return of the ‘gnomes of Zurich’

Sun 10 May 2026

Keir Starmer’s losses summon return of the ‘gnomes of Zurich’
Erica Wagner
Michael Frayn’s wonderful Copenhagen still crackles with radioactive relevance

Sun 10 May 2026

Michael Frayn’s wonderful Copenhagen still crackles with radioactive relevance
Róisín Lanigan
Queueing for trendy food? I’ve had my fill

Fri 8 May 2026

Queueing for trendy food? I’ve had my fill
John Naughton
In an AI abundant age, the rarest commodity will be people to verify its output

Fri 8 May 2026

In an AI abundant age, the rarest commodity will be people to verify its output
Matthew Bishop
Remembering Ted Turner, CNN’s eccentric billionaire founder

Thu 7 May 2026

Remembering Ted Turner, CNN’s eccentric billionaire founder
Melanie Reid
Life before smartphones was like a message in a bottle – full of chance and happy accident

Thu 7 May 2026

Life before smartphones was like a message in a bottle –  full of chance and happy accident
Simon Barnes
My week as a foureye butterflyfish

Wed 6 May 2026

My week as a foureye butterflyfish
Eva Wiseman
The uncomfortable truths behind deepfakes

Wed 6 May 2026

The uncomfortable truths behind deepfakes
Kenan Malik
Escalation in anti-Jewish violence exposes a wider breakdown in moral clarity

Sun 3 May 2026

Escalation in anti-Jewish violence exposes a wider breakdown in moral clarity
Andrew Rawnsley
Labour is braced for what fatalists are calling ‘Starmerggedon’

Sun 3 May 2026

Labour is braced for what fatalists are calling ‘Starmerggedon’
Simon Barnes
One hundred years of Attenborough, the man who taught me what love is

Sun 3 May 2026

One hundred years of Attenborough, the man who taught me what love is
Frank Skinner
Why the London Marathon belongs to the fancy-dress runners

Sun 3 May 2026

Why the London Marathon belongs to the fancy-dress runners
Kate Maltby
Croon if you want, Damian Lewis. Everyone deserves a midlife wobble

Sun 3 May 2026

Croon if you want, Damian Lewis. Everyone deserves a midlife wobble
Simon Barnes
My week as a bar-headed goose

Sun 3 May 2026

My week as a bar-headed goose
Séamas O’Reilly
The case for… television jingles

Sat 2 May 2026

The case for… television jingles
John Naughton
Talkie could silence the tech bros by taking AI back to the 1930s

Fri 1 May 2026

Talkie could silence the tech bros by taking AI back to the 1930s
Eva Wiseman
My portrait of a friend’s double mastectomy

Wed 29 Apr 2026

My portrait of a friend’s double mastectomy
Will Hutton
Britain’s mortgage-hike timebomb is the price homeowners will pay for decades of policy failure

Sun 26 Apr 2026

Britain’s mortgage-hike timebomb is the price homeowners will pay for decades of policy failure
Kenan Malik
Fifty years on, David Edgar’s vision about the far right is becoming our destiny

Sun 26 Apr 2026

Fifty years on, David Edgar’s vision about the far right is becoming our destiny
Andrew Rawnsley
If this is government, I’m a Pot Noodle

Sun 26 Apr 2026

If this is government, I’m a Pot Noodle
Sam Freedman
Why saving universities is far more than academic

Sun 26 Apr 2026

Why saving universities is far more than academic
Róisín Lanigan
It’s civil war in the preggosphere

Fri 24 Apr 2026

It’s civil war in the preggosphere
John Naughton
Anthropic’s Mythos AI heralds a new era of cybersecurity warfare

Fri 24 Apr 2026

Anthropic’s Mythos AI heralds a new era of cybersecurity warfare
Melanie Reid
My husband’s death has revealed grief’s true face

Thu 23 Apr 2026

My husband’s death has revealed grief’s true face
Eva Wiseman
The rise of the celebrity death doula

Wed 22 Apr 2026

The rise of the celebrity death doula
Kenan Malik
Southport, Grenfell, Windrush – all scandals defined by institutional indifference

Sun 19 Apr 2026

Southport, Grenfell, Windrush – all scandals defined by institutional indifference
Frank Skinner
Introducing Misbehaviour Mondays, when punters can be as boorish as they like

Sun 19 Apr 2026

Introducing Misbehaviour Mondays, when punters can be as boorish as they like
Steve Bloomfield
Cash-strapped Britain can’t afford to throw more money at defence

Sun 19 Apr 2026

Cash-strapped Britain can’t afford to throw more money at defence
Andrew Rawnsley
Starmer pleading ignorance over Mandelson won’t wash

Sun 19 Apr 2026

Starmer pleading ignorance over Mandelson won’t wash
Róisín Lanigan
The girlboss was a fallacy and so is the trad wife

Fri 17 Apr 2026

The girlboss was a fallacy and so is the trad wife
John Naughton
Tech bros, beware: resistance to AI moves from theory to direct action

Fri 17 Apr 2026

Tech bros, beware: resistance to AI moves from theory to direct action
Simon Barnes
My week as a giant panda

Wed 15 Apr 2026

My week as a giant panda
Will Hutton
Apocalypse now? The politics of panic is the real enemy

Sun 12 Apr 2026

Apocalypse now? The politics of panic is the real enemy
Kenan Malik
Iranians are the biggest losers in a war that has exposed the limits of US power

Sun 12 Apr 2026

Iranians are the biggest losers in a war that has exposed the limits of US power
Andrew Rawnsley
Thanks to Trump, the UK has edged closer to Europe, but the entente isn’t always cordiale

Sun 12 Apr 2026

Thanks to Trump, the UK has edged closer to Europe, but the entente isn’t always cordiale
Simon Barnes
‘We can live on the gum in a book of stamps’: my week as an oriental cockroach

Sat 11 Apr 2026

‘We can live on the gum in a book of stamps’: my week as an oriental cockroach
Casey Magloire
Tackling my fears and jinxes is turning life into a whole new ball game

Sat 11 Apr 2026

Tackling my fears and jinxes is turning life into a whole new ball game
John Naughton
In polarised times, AI may be the centrist the world needs

Sat 11 Apr 2026

In polarised times, AI may be the centrist the world needs
Róisín Lanigan
London is on its way to becoming Little America

Sat 11 Apr 2026

London is on its way to becoming Little America
Melanie Reid
Proud Mary: The Other Bennet Sister is a champion for the rest of us

Tue 7 Apr 2026

Proud Mary: The Other Bennet Sister is a champion for the rest of us
Erica Wagner
Let’s raise a Golden Ballroom to those who are making us all great again

Sun 5 Apr 2026

Let’s raise a Golden Ballroom to those who are making us all great again
Andrew Rawnsley
Starmer may have won praise for standing up to Trump, but fury over high prices will follow

Sun 5 Apr 2026

Starmer may have won praise for standing up to Trump, but fury over high prices will follow
Frank Skinner
Like an irascible Yoda, Roy Hodgson is back where he belongs: in the dugout

Sun 5 Apr 2026

Like an irascible Yoda, Roy Hodgson is back where he belongs: in the dugout
Simon Barnes
My week as a brown hare

Sat 4 Apr 2026

My week as a brown hare
Eva Wiseman
Bidding for a wedding dress is not my lot

Thu 2 Apr 2026

Bidding for a wedding dress is not my lot
Will Hutton
An energy revolution is in the wind

Sun 29 Mar 2026

An energy revolution is in the wind
William Keegan
Enlightened capitalism is what we need in these dark times

Sun 29 Mar 2026

Enlightened capitalism is what we need in these dark times
Melanie Reid
I park my wheelchair next to David’s armchair, lean on it, say hello darling… I can’t believe he’s gone

Sun 29 Mar 2026

I park my wheelchair next to David’s armchair, lean on it, say hello darling… I can’t believe he’s gone
John Naughton
How the blogosphere transformed public debate

Fri 27 Mar 2026

How the blogosphere transformed public debate
Róisín Lanigan
The manosphere fakes can’t bear much reality

Fri 27 Mar 2026

The manosphere fakes can’t bear much reality
Sarah Manavis
The problems faced by childfree women are dismissed as trivial

Wed 25 Mar 2026

The problems faced by childfree women are dismissed as trivial
Simon Barnes
My week as a Venus’s flower basket

Wed 25 Mar 2026

My week as a Venus’s flower basket
Kenan Malik
How do we transform society when we are more disconnected than ever?

Sun 22 Mar 2026

How do we transform society when we are more disconnected than ever?
Lucien Young
Dear Keir: I don’t want to strap myself to a rocket and hand the launch controls to Trump

Sat 21 Mar 2026

Dear Keir: I don’t want to strap myself to a rocket and hand the launch controls to Trump
Simon Barnes
My week as a Chinese pangolin

Sat 21 Mar 2026

My week as a Chinese pangolin
Marie Le Conte
Boxing is like a mating dance between two birds

Fri 20 Mar 2026

Boxing is like a mating dance between two birds
Olivia Ovenden
Want to tell a story? Then ditch the phone

Fri 20 Mar 2026

Want to tell a story? Then ditch the phone
John Naughton
Claude’s won a battle with ChatGPT, but network effects will always win the war

Fri 20 Mar 2026

Claude’s won a battle with ChatGPT, but network effects will always win the war
Tim Leunig
Chancellor’s push for fiscal devolution may face opposition from mayors

Thu 19 Mar 2026

Chancellor’s push for fiscal devolution may face opposition from mayors
Sarah Manavis
Inside the scary world of the ‘anti-fan’

Wed 18 Mar 2026

Inside the scary world of the ‘anti-fan’
Liv Little
Why we still love Louis Theroux

Wed 18 Mar 2026

Why we still love Louis Theroux
Brett Wigdortz
A child who doesn’t know how to play won’t know how to learn

Sun 15 Mar 2026

A child who doesn’t know how to play won’t know how to learn
Philip Collins
Starmer must cling on to Jonathan Powell, who warned him Mandelson was trouble

Sun 15 Mar 2026

Starmer must cling on to Jonathan Powell, who warned him Mandelson was trouble
Kenan Malik
Why so many missed the point of the Economist’s Khamenei obituary

Sun 15 Mar 2026

Why so many missed the point of the Economist’s Khamenei obituary
Will Hutton
We can escape the state we’re in

Sun 15 Mar 2026

We can escape the state we’re in
Lucien Young
Dear Keir: don’t do anything rash, like slagging off your mate on Truth Social

Sat 14 Mar 2026

Dear Keir: don’t do anything rash, like slagging off your mate on Truth Social
William Keegan
The history of energy crises in the UK has much to teach this government

Sat 14 Mar 2026

The history of energy crises in the UK has much to teach this government
Iona Bain
Take a few holiday-let snaps to avoid damaging your good time

Sat 14 Mar 2026

Take a few holiday-let snaps to avoid damaging your good time
Erica Wagner
I wasn’t bored by The Secret Agent, I just couldn’t stay. It’s actually a compliment

Sat 14 Mar 2026

I wasn’t bored by The Secret Agent, I just couldn’t stay. It’s actually a compliment
John Naughton
AI is like the first car: it will revolutionise a world that has not yet been built for it

Fri 13 Mar 2026

AI is like the first car: it will revolutionise a world that has not yet been built for it
Róisín Lanigan
Nothing’s more stressful than this cortisol craze

Fri 13 Mar 2026

Nothing’s more stressful than this cortisol craze
Sarah Manavis
Let’s stop defending shallow art as made ‘for women’

Fri 13 Mar 2026

Let’s stop defending shallow art as made ‘for women’
Simon Barnes
My week as a red kangaroo

Thu 12 Mar 2026

My week as a red kangaroo
Martha Gill
British seaside towns are sinking

Wed 11 Mar 2026

British seaside towns are sinking
Frank Skinner
I thought AI was a Geordie greeting until it took over my dad gig

Sun 8 Mar 2026

I thought AI was a Geordie greeting until it took over my dad gig
Philip Collins
Trump says Starmer is no Churchill. He has no idea what that means

Sun 8 Mar 2026

Trump says Starmer is no Churchill. He has no idea what that means
Kenan Malik
Why Labour lost the minority vote in the Gorton and Denton byelection

Sun 8 Mar 2026

Why Labour lost the minority vote in the Gorton and Denton byelection
Patrick Kidd
Audrey Emerton, nursing leader and peer

Sat 7 Mar 2026

Audrey Emerton, nursing leader and peer
John Naughton
Make AI more like a human? It’s far too clever for that

Fri 6 Mar 2026

Make AI more like a human? It’s far too clever for that
Olivia Ovenden
Dubai’s influencers discover you can’t curate a war

Fri 6 Mar 2026

Dubai’s influencers discover you can’t curate a war
Simon Barnes
My week as a marsh harrier

Mon 2 Mar 2026

My week as a marsh harrier
William Keegan
Not content with Brexit harm, Reform plans pensions raid

Sun 1 Mar 2026

Not content with Brexit harm, Reform plans pensions raid
Will Hutton
Rachel Reeves should have a spring in her step as shoots of recovery push through

Sun 1 Mar 2026

Rachel Reeves should have a spring in her step as shoots of recovery push through
Andrew Rawnsley
Gorton and Denton will force Labour to rethink – it is no longer the only anti-Reform option

Sun 1 Mar 2026

Gorton and Denton will force Labour to rethink – it is no longer the only anti-Reform option
Eva Wiseman
Chatbots can break your heart

Fri 27 Feb 2026

Chatbots can break your heart
Róisín Lanigan
Haven’t you heard? Living next to a pub is noisy

Fri 27 Feb 2026

Haven’t you heard? Living next to a pub is noisy
John Naughton
Amazon’s new AI writing culture is selling short our powers of productive thinking

Fri 27 Feb 2026

Amazon’s new AI writing culture is selling short our powers of productive thinking
Kenan Malik
A slur was shouted at the Baftas – but what followed was more dispiriting

Thu 26 Feb 2026

A slur was shouted at the Baftas – but what followed was more dispiriting
Simon Barnes
My week as an orchid mantis

Tue 24 Feb 2026

My week as an orchid mantis
Frank Skinner
There’s no joy an idiot with a smartphone can’t kill

Sun 22 Feb 2026

There’s no joy an idiot with a smartphone can’t kill
Will Hutton
This royal crisis is the moment to redefine Britain’s monarchy

Sun 22 Feb 2026

This royal crisis is the moment to redefine Britain’s monarchy
Andrew Rawnsley
Don’t underestimate the Windsors’ ruthless drive to survive

Sun 22 Feb 2026

Don’t underestimate the Windsors’ ruthless drive to survive
Lucien Young
I could manage the hell out of Waitrose

Fri 20 Feb 2026

I could manage the hell out of Waitrose
John Naughton
Big tech profited from our attention – now AI wants to monetise intentions

Fri 20 Feb 2026

Big tech profited from our attention – now AI wants to monetise intentions
John Niven
Writing for the stage? I’m mad for it

Fri 20 Feb 2026

Writing for the stage? I’m mad for it
Sarah Manavis
The America’s Next Top Model doc is reheated voyeurism posing as disgust

Thu 19 Feb 2026

The America’s Next Top Model doc is reheated voyeurism posing as disgust
Tim Leunig
The great British holiday is dying. Here’s how to save it

Thu 19 Feb 2026

The great British holiday is dying. Here’s how to save it
Alex O’Connell
Monet’s snoozing son was captivating – and I almost slept through it

Wed 18 Feb 2026

Monet’s snoozing son was captivating – and I almost slept through it
Simon Barnes
My week as a whitetip reef shark

Wed 18 Feb 2026

My week as a whitetip reef shark

Follow

The Observer
The Observer Magazine
The ObserverNew Review
The Observer Food Monthly
Copyright © 2025 Tortoise MediaPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions