The scholarly gift that keeps on giving Shahidha Bari examines the ritual of exchanging Christmas presents as she mulls the best gift that academics can share By Shahidha Bari 24 December
‘Ideas are ghostly things, and scholarly writing is a kind of magic’ As a manuscript haunts her, Shahidha Bari muses on Apple and the Bard By Shahidha Bari 19 November
Why you shouldn’t go on holiday with an academic There’s no rest for the lifelong learning brigade, says Shahidha Bari By Shahidha Bari 8 October
Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present, by Alison Matthews David Stomach-churning detail reminds us of the blood, sweat and tears in clothes, says Shahidha Bari By Shahidha Bari 24 September
When high achievers fail to make the grade Shahidha Bari on academics’ strange relationship with the idea of failure By Shahidha Bari 20 August
Conference season is here again Shahidha Bari on a supposedly fun thing that makes her apprehensive By Shahidha Bari 9 July
The Brontë Cabinet: Three Lives in Nine Objects, by Deborah Lutz Personal items belonging to the literary sisters illuminate their wild genius, says Shahidha Bari By Shahidha Bari 25 June
V&A does the hot shoe shuffle While there is plenty to admire in the museum’s well-heeled spectacle, Shahidha Bari finds it strangely devoid of historical, social and cultural context By Shahidha Bari 18 June
The silent majority in higher education Academics have a duty to explain why they hold their political beliefs, says Shahidha Bari By Shahidha Bari 28 May
The Vagina: A Literary and Cultural History, by Emma L. E. Rees Shahidha Bari welcomes a thoughtful look at ordinary anatomy and extraordinary anxiety By Shahidha Bari 15 August
