When I was a little boy, every time I went to a birthday party, my parents would say the same two things to me: “Remember what your name is and remember who you belong to.” I found this very confusing. How could I forget my name? And who did I belong to? I thought it …
A big football tournament is a great time for thinking deep thoughts. Who are we? What does it mean today to be English? Am I also British? European? I’m pretty sure I’m not Welsh and I’m faintly sad that Gareth Bale is. We all want to know where our identity lies and so we like …
I am constantly being showered with gifts. Every website I visit, every link I click on, every restaurant I eat at wants to offer me something: exclusive access, free postage, free pizza. Even if I just want yoghurt I’m told I can have some as a gift if I’ll only buy twice as much as …