Correspondence
Supply Chains A letter from London
Get this: actual French people are buying their sandwiches from a British shop called Ready to Eat (in French), you can’t get much more globalised than that.
The Boat on Dal Lake A letter from Kashmir
Even Google Maps refuses to commit to a border: the region is a tangle of dashed lines on my phone.
Something in the Night A letter from Berlin
"In the cold months you sometimes feel Berlin is operating on a sort of skeleton crew; this metropolis that can feel totally desolate at midday."
Putting the Subway to Sleep A Letter from New York
As NYC’s subway system edges towards collapse a proposal to close it down regularly after midnight is being bitterly fought: “Who are we, London?”
Indefinite Leave to Remain A letter from London
Inner-city London is a civic space carved up and meted out according to the dictates of capital returns on the global market, rather than the needs of local people.
Car City Blues A letter from New York
"Traffic crawls at 4.7 miles per hour in Midtown Manhattan mocked by the towering deco architecture evoking speed. A double espresso and you’re walking faster."
A Bridge Too Far A Letter from Hong Kong
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge is due to open soon. It will span 55 kilometres, physically linking Hong Kong to the mainland. And the moment it does, Hong Kong will become part of China – its ‘mother’ country – in a way it never has before.
Going Underground A letter from London
I was in a carriage this morning packed to its filthy steel gills with commuters – a giant canister of corned human – and not a sound was to be heard save for the faint scritch-itch of wired r ‘n’ b.
Tale of a Trip Advisor A Letter from Bali
The high-pressure system of TripAdvisor shadowed the resort manager’s days. A dark cloud, it followed him home, sometimes entered his dreams. He lived in terror of a bad review.
No Longer at Liberty Changing NYC’s statues
Are we creating an eternal city of the spotless mind?
Dreamed a Dream by the Old ATM A Letter from London
Arguably, the healthiest thing about Bill-the-Homeless’s lifestyle in recent years has been its intense sociability. I made friends with him when he was still begging at the ATM.
Rough Sleeper A Letter from London
A new season of woe bites deep into the wanting flesh of the city's poor.
Volcano Dogs A Letter from Vanuatu
In what was described as a 'Dunkirk-style operation'', 12,000 people were evacuated from the island of Ambae as its volcano erupted. It was a place left, literally, to the dogs.
I’ll Be Your Mirror A Letter from New York
Can the city's cultural palette reflect a greater diversity?
Walking Home A Letter from London
The city seems to be both rapidly reconfiguring, and moving somewhere – although where I’m not entirely sure.
Burning Down the House A Letter from Melbourne
The suburban disaster zone just 18km from Melbourne’s CBD.