
In praise of Real Life
“I have some thanks and apologies for my parents,” said Melissa Kite at her book launch last night. “Apologies?” said her dad, from the corner. “Yes, I’m afraid so. For years, you have been telling people that your daughter is a successful journalist in London. Now, the world knows that I’m a complete car crash.” The book in question was Real Life, drawn from Melissa’s column for The Spectator over the years, charting her various disasters and occasional triumphs. As her loyal army of readers will attest, it’s utterly compelling, a column carried by the quality of her writing. It’s a journal of modern Britain: struggles with the council in
