But back to the poem: we’ll bring you more news
as it doesn’t happen.
The news appears to be in the news, which is peculiar. There was a time when the delivery of ‘news’ was entirely down to rigorous investigation fuelled by curiosity. The facts and sources needed verifying, objectivity needed to be applied in generous measure, and a genuine need for the story was a given. Journalists and editors were the unsung heroes of fighting the good fight, uncovering bad deeds and exposing them to public scrutiny, all done without favour or fortune. Newspaper proprietors and their editors were the gatekeepers of what was worthy of telling: the genuine public interest to a story. Of course, there are times when the telling of a story becomes the story itself. When the void is too great, it’s sometimes difficult to find enough ‘news’ to fill the space and then perhaps those heroic standards slip – any story will do (remember Freddie Starr and the hamster?). This is becoming much more apparent in an age of social media: verification and objectivity are the first standards thrown out of the window, because there are no editors and the proprietors believe they have no responsibility. So anything and everything gets delivered to screens and eyeballs. We are all encouraged to be journalists and broadcasters now – anyone can re-post, and the last thing which seems to be important is the news itself, and we’ll be poorer for it. Quality news (and quality books), quietly confident and created with thought and rigour, everything else is just shouting and noise.
‘Breaking News’ by Brian Bilston
We interrupt this poem to bring you reports
of an explosion
of wild untruths and other signs that the news
is broken.
Early indications from those who were first
on the scene
have led to widespread fears of another Sweden
or Bowling Green
and that peace might erupt at any moment
in other places.
It is believed that amongst the rubble of reality
were found traces
of humanity and an understanding that stretches
beyond borders.
Many experts predict this will lead to a new wave
of presidential orders
for these trumped-up charges form part of
a familiar pattern.
But back to the poem: we’ll bring you more news
as it doesn’t happen.
If you get chance, not only seek out the poetry of Brian Bilston, but also the recent Rest is Politics ‘Leading’ podcast with Jonathan Haidt
There are plenty of eye-catching books gracing our shelves this week, including the beautiful Collector’s Edition of Ali Hazelwood’s beloved romance, The Love Hypothesis. Illustrated endpapers, a delightful sprayed edge, and a bonus chapter are all wrapped up in a beautiful parcel (literally!) for a Coles Special Price of £14! While fiction is brimming with tales of love, our non-fiction favourites this week traverse history, from the mighty oak to the not-so-mighty world of political crises. And for little ones, children aged 9 and up can be transported to fantastical lands with Heart Seer, and babies will love learning their ABCs with hungry Brown Bear.
As always, if there’s anything you need, just pop by or reply to this email!
From Sophie
Feeling curious? Click on the book covers below to explore the book.
The full newsletter with links to books – including this week’s Signed Editions – can be found HERE
