Books and Arts – 21 November 2013
The Spectator
Thursday
Is addiction a disease?
Tonight, the Spectator will host a debate on the motion: ‘Addiction is not a disease’. Damian Thompson, Theodore Dalrymple and Dr Aric Sigman will lock horns with Trinny Woodall, Dominic Ruffy and Vic Watts to decide whether addiction is a medical condition or a pattern of immoderate behaviour. The extraordinary story of Reverend Flowers is likely
The 2013 Michael Heath Award for cartooning — shortlist (part I)
Nine cartoonists are shortlisted for the first ever Michael Heath Award for cartooning. The theme of the contest, sponsored by John Lobb, is ‘Man in Motion’. Work by four of the shortlisted artists is below. We’ll print four more next week, and the winner on 7 December. Thanks to all who entered — and congratulations
Spectator writers’ Christmas book choices
Byron Rogers Rhys Davies by Meic Stephens (Parthian, £20). This is the first full-length biography of the grocer’s son from the Valleys who, in the course of a long and industrious life spent mainly in London (where guardsmen were), wrote over 100 short stories and 20 novels and was hailed as the Welsh Chekhov. Helpfully,
Wednesday
Coffee Shots: Osborne’s stairway to heaven?
From this week’s Spectator, our cartoon editor Michael Heath offers his take on George Osborne’s Help to Buy scheme. Subscribe from just £1 a week here.
Thursday
Tattoo 2
‘Are you sure you want me to carry on with this, Mr Dimbleby?’
Kafka
‘It’s not Kafkaesque, it’s normal.’
Fish 2
‘It’s such a perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you...’
Instant
‘Instant? Certainly, madam. Take a seat and someone will be with you in a minute.’
Ebay
Panda 2
‘We are very happy with the Chinese-themed room but could you remove the panda, please.’
Blue
‘Could that be from his blue period?’
Cut
‘It’s the director’s cut.’
Houseprices
‘I can’t see us ever having a boring housebuying anecdote of our own.’
Celeste
‘Where is everyone? It’s like the Marie Celeste in here.’
Energy 4
‘Want to switch energy suppliers?’
Shareholder
‘In these straitened times, our shareholders need more money.’
Stalking
Barometer: David Dimbleby is not alone (unfortunately)
Whose tattoos? David Dimbleby, 75, has had a scorpion tattooed on his right shoulder. Some more tattoo-wearers who perhaps ought to know better: — Lady Steel, 71, wife of former liberal leader David Steel (pink jaguar on left shoulder). — Vanessa Feltz, 51 (photographed with Bob Marley on left arm, although it’s not known to