An illustration of a horse ©James Ferguson Feb 15, 2013

The Diary: James Lasdun

The British author discovers a distant ancestor who bought the Jockey Club in retaliation and turned it into his private stables

Food & Drink

Illustration by Ingram Pinn of a wine glass with grapes ©Ingram Pinn
‘This grape obsessive’s interest in unusual grape varieties is so marked that he prefers to remain anonymous’
Tim Hughes ©Charlie Bibby
‘I jotted down the possible reasons that this restaurant could take £35,000 on a single day’
mussels ©Andy Sewell
It is a leisurely occupation, nibbling a mussel, dipping a chip in the mayonnaise and then a mussel again …
Illustration by Luis Grañena of folk devil exaggerated in media ©Luis Grañena Simon Kuper from FT MAGAZINE Feb 15, 2013

Carry on panicking

Moral panics serve to express the desired social order: brave policemen good, independent young people bad

Wrecking ball illustration by Shonagh Rae ©Shonagh Rae Gillian Tett from FT MAGAZINE Feb 15, 2013

Are library books on borrowed time?

Since 2009, the New York Public Library has spent $1m on 45,000 ebook copies

Tyler Brule: The Fast Lane Tyler Brule Tyler Brule Feb 15, 2013

Which city wins my Valentine?

A brief stop in New Zealand inspires strong feelings for Auckland

Harry Eyres: The Slow Lane Harry Eyres Feb 15, 2013

Where the customer is not king

Unlike the maniacally smiling baristas of Pret A Manger, Vienna’s café waiters are permitted eccentricities

peter aspden Peter Aspden from ARTS Feb 15, 2013

And the best is silence

The experience of art is most intense during private, contemplative moments; there are better spaces for noise

An illustration of a man finding a horseshoe in his hamburger by Lucas Varela ©Lucas Varela Robert Shrimsley from FT MAGAZINE Feb 15, 2013

Horses for (main) courses

There’s nothing like a good food scare to send angsty parents scurrying back to the natural food counter

Susie Boyt Feb 15, 2013

The bittersweet taste of cabaret

Good actors turn songs into episodes in the history of romance, deepening our understanding of human nature

rock pigeons ©Courtesy Sydney Stringham From FT MAGAZINE Feb 15, 2013

Darwin’s origin of the pigeon

A new study unravels the genetics of the bird species, which were bred by the English naturalist for his research into evolution

Vanessa Friedman at The Modern Vanessa Friedman from STYLE Feb 8, 2013

The catwalk in your living room

If things look weird on the catwalk, then imagine seeing them on Netflix