Polly Toynbee: what my privileged start in life taught me about the British class system

It wasn’t just luck that steered the Guardian columnist to Oxford and into a media career ... She reflects on the subtle mechanics of class (and an early encounter with a naked future PM)Children know. They breathe it in early, for there’s no unknowing the difference between nannies, cleaners, below-stairs people and the family upstairs. Children are the go-betweens, one foot in each world, and yet they know very well from the earliest age where they belong, where their destiny lies or, to put it crudely, who pays whom. Tiny hands are steeped young in the essence of class and caste. In nursery school, in reception they see the Harry Potter sorting hat at work. They know. And all through school those fine gradations grow clearer, more precise, more consciously knowing, more shaming, more frightening. Good liberal parents teach their children to check their privilege – useful modern phrase – but it swells up like a bubo on the nose. There’s no hiding it.I can summon up the childhood shame at class embarrassments. Aged seven like me, Maureen, with her hair pinned sideways in a pink slide, lived in a pebble-dashed council house by the water tower. They were at the other end of Lindsey, more hamlet than village, half a mile down the road from my father’s pink thatched cottage set in the flat prairie lands of Suffolk, where I spent half my time, the other half in London, shuttling between divorced parents. I envied Maureen for what looked to me like a cheerful large family... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-20 12:00:56 UTC ]
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Forty authors back call for school system change

Over 40 authors including Alan Gibbons, Cathy Cassidy and Michael Rosen have backed a protest against the current UK school system following the "deeply disturbing" findings of a poll which suggested more than half of teachers are thinking of quitting. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three months, standing start to high street

"The dispiriting feeling that...the entire industry is stacked against the author." Douglas Wight isn't the first to respond by creating an imprint of his own, of course. Indie bestseller Barbara Freethy self-publishes as Fog City Publishing, which has a trade imprint for bookstores, Hyde Street... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Novels taught Obama 'how to be a citizen'

US President Barack Obama has revealed he learned the "most important" things about being a citizen from reading novels. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jane Friedman on bringing books 'back to life'

Jane Friedman, c.e.o. of Open Road Integrated Media, on ebooks, backlist and drinking "the Kool-Aid very early on digital". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Derek Lin Shares Taoist Wisdom for Modern Life

'The Tao of Happiness' author says that Taoism is 'really just for human beings,' making it a religion fit for a secular humanist. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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British Council Publishes Anthology of Myanmar Literature

A new anthology published by the British Council features 28 stories from Myanmar, originally written in 11 languages. The post British Council Publishes Anthology of Myanmar Literature appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tech start-up launches 'Spotify for food'

A new digital resource for foodies, best described as a “Spotify for food”, could soon allow users to discover what the leading names in the food industry have to say about their favourite cookbooks. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK’s Kids Pub Nosy Crow Partners with British Museum

Nosy Crow has partnered with the British Museum to produce a children’s books that will make art and history more accessible. The post UK’s Kids Pub Nosy Crow Partners with British Museum appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Get the Android Marshmallow Quick Start Guide free from the Play Store

Doing the reading before class may not have been the highest priority while you were in school. But here’s some text you may actually want to dive into: a primer on all the cool, new features of Android Marshmallow. Google just published its Quick Start Guide, a free eBook that anyone can grab... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An Upbeat Start to Regional Bookseller Shows

Strong sales heading into the holidays have contributed to this year’s energetic bookseller gatherings. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Life-Changing Magic of Translations

The buzz at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year is that more translations are finding their way into English language markets through indie publishers. The post The Life-Changing Magic of Translations appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nosy Crow and British Museum sign partnership deal

Nosy Crow is to work with the British Museum to produce a “broad range” of children’s books as part of an exclusive partnership. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook to Start Grading Ads' Results Across Its Mobile App Network

Facebook is instituting something akin to employee performance reviews for app publishers in its ad network, grading how well their inventory achieves advertiser objectives like driving downloads or selling product.The company already uses that information to decide which ad buys it doles out to... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BAMB buskers to bring high street to life

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IAB Starts Publicity and Engineering Battle Against Ad Blocking

The Interactive Advertising Bureau elevated its fight against ad blockers on Tuesday, with President-CEO Randall Rothenberg renewing what he called his "cri de coeur" against the practice and showcasing small publishers being hurt by the practice. The organization also said it was taking new... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amy Schumer will finally share details of her life with the world

The year of Amy Schumer continues, with Gallery Books announcing that it has a deal with the actress and comedian for a memoir. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kyle Idleman: My Life Begins Where It Ends

The bestselling author shows readers how to find a 'real life' by unpacking the paradoxical principles of Jesus's teachings in his new book 'End of Me.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Interest in Debut British Novel Heats Up

Since being submitted on Friday, 'Halcyon' by Katie Khan has already collected offers from seven countries, and deals have been closed with Italian publisher, Newton Compton and Heyne in Germany. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What book helps Tom Brady weather life's highs and lows?

In a recent radio interview, New England Patriors quarterback Tom Brady mentioned a transformative self-help book that serves as a 'mantra' for his life. Brady says he's been reading the book every year since 2002. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Start Publishing Strikes Deal for 16 Titles

Start Publishing has acquired North American ebook and, where available, audio rights to 16 titles published by the U.K’s. Accent Press. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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