Robert McCrum on books + Tony Blair | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/robert-mccrum-on-books+politics/tonyblair Index en-gb Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2016 Tue, 25 Oct 2016 03:39:27 GMT 2016-10-25T03:39:27Z en-gb Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2016 The Guardian https://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.png https://www.theguardian.com Public Lending Right inquiry was rigged from the start https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jul/19/public-lending-right-inquiry-rigged Plan to cut PLR office, as part of cull of quangos, reflects government's lack of respect for UK writers and illustrators<p>The Department for Culture, Media and Sport assault on 19 quangos, including the office in Stockton that administers Public Lending Right, was <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/oct/22/public-lending-right-payments-cut" title="">first announced in 2010 with a promise of "consultation"</a>. At the time, there was widespread suspicion of the coalition's motives. We were advised to wait and see.</p><p>Now, with the publication of a <a href="http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/9019.aspx" title="">"consultation document on PLR"</a>, it's clear that any inquiry was rigged from the first. Accordingly, a number of influential supporters of authors' rights have begun to express concern for the future of this 30-year-old landmark of state patronage. Michael Holroyd, who has followed every twist and turn of cultural policy vis-a-vis writers and artists, tells me this document "is not the necessary full public consultation that was expected".</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jul/19/public-lending-right-inquiry-rigged">Continue reading...</a> Quangos Politics British Library Libraries Books Michael Holroyd Culture Tony Blair Margaret Thatcher Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:44:02 GMT http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jul/19/public-lending-right-inquiry-rigged Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian Under PLR, writers receive a modest payment when their work is accessed by library users. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian Under PLR, writers receive a modest payment when their work is accessed by library users. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian Robert McCrum 2012-07-19T13:44:02Z Robert McCrum: A great memoir is an unflinching mirror https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/sep/12/biography-blair-mandelson-fry-osborne To celebrate a golden year for autobiography, our critic offers his top 10 British classics of the genre<p>The British book trade sometimes can seem strangely reminiscent of an elderly alcoholic: sagging features, grey skin, listless eyes, and a general air of defeat. But then, one quiet snorter and – hey presto! – it's party time.</p><p>Right now, it's doubles all round. A year ago, celebrity memoirs were in the tank, the bane of the business. Nothing sold. This year: Mandelson and Blair, followed by Fry, Dannatt etc… Christmas has come early.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/sep/12/biography-blair-mandelson-fry-osborne">Continue reading...</a> Biography Books Culture Tony Blair Peter Mandelson John Osborne Autobiography and memoir Sat, 11 Sep 2010 23:02:16 GMT http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/sep/12/biography-blair-mandelson-fry-osborne Photograph: Jane Bown/Observer John Osborne, photographed for the Observer by Jane Bown in 1991, ‘eviscerated his poor old mum and his ex-wife Jill Bennett, but he flayed himself too’. Photograph: Jane Bown for the Observer Photograph: Jane Bown/Observer John Osborne, photographed for the Observer by Jane Bown in 1991, ‘eviscerated his poor old mum and his ex-wife Jill Bennett, but he flayed himself too’. Photograph: Jane Bown for the Observer Robert McCrum 2010-09-11T23:02:16Z Spinning yarns: the country awaits Mandelson's memoirs https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/nov/23/new-labour-political-memoirs Cherie's were shallow, Blunkett's risible and Campbell's partial. But the memoirs we are most looking forward to from the New Labour cabinet have be those of Lord Mandelson<p>After the battle of the polls, the battle of the books. Whatever the outcome of the general election campaign, whose opening salvoes have now been fired, this should be more than matched by the political memoirs of the outgoing Labour Cabinet, books in which our political protagonists strive to establish their version of events.</p><p>Or will it? So far, at least, New Labour, which always hated history, has largely flunked its literary relationship with posterity. Tony Blair has yet to deliver his memoirs; <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/may/24/biography.politics1">Cherie's contribution</a> was shallow and disappointing. Further down the totem pole, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2006/nov/11/featuresreviews.guardianreview11">David Blunkett</a>'s was risible and self-serving, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blair-Years-Alastair-Campbell/dp/0099514753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1258982111&amp;sr=1-1">Alistair Campbell</a>'s bowdlerised and partial. Compared with the great days of Healey's memoirs or Crossman's revelations, or even the many volumes of Wilson's self-justification, these are slim pickings.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/nov/23/new-labour-political-memoirs">Continue reading...</a> Politics Peter Mandelson Gordon Brown Tony Blair Books Culture Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:47:44 GMT http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/nov/23/new-labour-political-memoirs Photograph: Carl De Souza/PA Whose memoirs would you rather read … Lord Mandelson's (right) or Jack Straw's? Photograph: Carl De Souza/PA Photograph: Carl De Souza/PA Whose memoirs would you rather read … Lord Mandelson's (right) or Jack Straw's? Photograph: Carl De Souza/PA Robert McCrum 2009-11-23T14:47:44Z
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