Britain in books
Gulliver’s Travels at 300: why Swift’s book is far sharper than it looks
On 28 October 1726 Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels appeared and became an instant sensation. Lilliputians and giants made it famous, but Swift packed in biting political satire, a mockery of science and even a machine that writes books. Here is why, 300 years on, it still feels modern.
Poems on the Underground at 40: the autumn set and Saturday's concert
Poems on the Underground began in January 1986 as a scheme by three friends; its posters now reach three million travellers a day. The autumn set went up on 19 October, and the fortieth anniversary evening is at the Purcell Room on 24 October, tickets from £17.
Russian-language books in Britain: where to buy them and what delivery costs
London has a bookshop that calls itself the UK's only English-Russian one: Bloomsbury, 10am to 9pm on weekdays. UK delivery starts at £3.50 and is free over £50 or £100 depending on the shop — and libraries lend the books for nothing.