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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New French Book Festival Starts in Paris

The Festival des Ecrivains du Monde, a celebration of world literature, began in Paris Friday September 20, continued through the weekend and carried over for two days in Lyon where it ends today. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Note–Taking System Turns You Into An Efficiency Expert

Note–taking is a skill not easily acquired. In the hands of an artist, designer, or Hollywood serial killer (à la Seven's John Doe), an idea–crammed notebook can even become a rarified, and in the case of the latter, creepy, object all on its own. Too often, however, the ability to take... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing System Helps Writers Determine Audience Interest

InboundWriter wants to help big publishers and niche bloggers figure out how much demand there is for their idea in the Web ecosystem before they type a word or hit "publish." At least that's the idea behind the newest version of the startup's software, which the company said will be used by... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Theodora Getty Gaston recalls life with J. Paul Getty in 'Alone Together'

Teddy Getty Gaston discusses her time with J. Paul Getty in a conversation at the Getty Villa. Her memoir is 'Alone Together.'The crimson-haired woman makes sure to offer snacks to each person entering the room. She's seated at the end, next to a carved marble fireplace that doesn't entirely... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Distro Issue 104: Prep for class with Engadget's back to school guide

Unfortunately, it's time to hit the books once more. Don't get completely bummed out by the start of classes because this special issue of our weekly e-magazine has all of the top picks for back to school gear. That's right, from laptops to portable audio, we've narrowed down the best tech... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With CONTEC, Frankfurt Embraces Life After TOC

For the past four years, Tools of Change has been a popular kickoff to the Frankfurt Book Fair. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marano hired at Kobo Writing Life

Kobo has hired former Waterstones digital content acquisitions manager Diego Marano to head up... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J.F. Powers' 'Suitable Accommodations' is a peek at his life

Writer J.F. Powers ('Morte D'Urban') inspired a small but loyal following. This collection of letters sheds light on a peripatetic family life. Back in 2000, when John Updike assembled "The Best American Short Stories of the Century," he included "Death of a Favorite," by J.F. Powers.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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REMODELING Magazine Launches 'Home for Life' Virtual Home Tour

  REMODELING magazine announced its launch of “Home for Life 2013,” a virtual tour showing how to remodel a home to be cost-efficient, safe and comfortable for life after retirement. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Meet XKeyscore: The NSA's Secret Real-Time Internet Snooping System That May Have Already Met You

New documents published in The Guardian reveal that the NSA can snoop on you in real time--and that the agency is building a giant keyword-based database of everything connected to the Internet, including Word and Excel docs on users' hard drives. Sometimes life seems a lot like dystopian... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Game|Life Podcast: A More Developer-Friendly Xbox One?

On this week's podcast: Xbox One self-publishing, EarthBound on Virtual Console, Shadow of the Eternals and changes at Electronic Arts.     Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2013-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Aquafadas Takes Off With New Digital Publishing System Release Version 3.0

Montpellier, France -- July 11, 2013 -- Aquafadas, innovative developer of digital publishing solutions, today announced the release of the Aquafadas Digital Publishing System 3.0, providing an even easier way to publish digital content acr ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Regional Mag Maryland Life Closes Down

Regionals were among the most-launched magazines in the first half of 2013, but there's still churn in the segment. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Life for Colombian Comics Artists Improves, But Challenges Remain

After years of struggle, Colombia's independent comics and graphic novel scene is starting to flourish, with new publishers and a traveling comics festival. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Murdoch at 82 Starts Over With $2.6 Billion for Deals

Rupert Murdoch, who began building his media empire 60 years ago, is relishing the chance “to do it all over again” with his newly streamlined publishing company that has $2.6 billion in cash to fuel acquisitions. The new News ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Libraries will release a "Top 10" recommendation list starting this fall

A list titled LibraryReads will be created monthly by libraries all over the country, compiling 10 picks that staff members would choose for the reading public. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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US court throws out class-action status in Google books case, for now

A U.S. court has decided that the class-action designation of the copyright lawsuit brought against Google by the Authors Guild over the company's book-scanning project was "premature," and has returned the suit to a lower court for consideration of fair use issues.The Authors Guild filed its... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does Lack of English-language Publishers Leave Seoul’s Book Fair 2nd Class?

The "Korea Times" compares the Seoul International Book Fair to Tokyo's International Book Fair, and finds it sorely lacking. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Layoffs Hit BSA’s Boy’s Life, Scouting

The Boy Scouts of America are cutting more than 30 positions from the staff of its two flagship magazines—Boy's Life and  Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SIBA's 'Code Read' Off to Successful Start

In order to better gauge social media success, and help usher foot traffic into bookstores, SIBA has launched the marketing initiative, "Code Read.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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