Portrait of the Author as a Historian: Imre Kertész
Struggling to make sense of the Holocaust, one Hungarian novelist came to the startling realisation that the 20th century’s darkest moment might not yield any lessons for posterity.
In April 1945 Imre Kertész was liberated from Buchenwald concentration camp. Not yet 16 years old, he had been transferred there after narrowly escaping death at Auschwitz the previous year and had endured months of cruel mistreatment at the Nazis’ hands.
Though still weak and malnourished, Kertész eagerly made his way back to his native Budapest. But when he arrived, he struggled to adapt to his new life there. Although much was familiar, the city felt alien. The streets were not as he remembered; buildings had been made unrecognisable by shellfire; even the people seemed different. He already knew that his father had died in captivity and he soon found that many of his other relations had disappeared, too. There were still some frie
Alexander Lee Talks to Andrew Keen on
Keen On
January 13, 2021
The coronavirus pandemic is dramatically disrupting not only our daily lives but society itself. This show features conversations with some of the world’s leading thinkers and writers about the deeper economic, political, and technological consequences of the pandemic. It’s our new daily podcast trying to make longterm sense out of the chaos of today’s global crisis.
On today’s episode, Andrew talks with Alexander Lee, author of
Machiavelli: His Life and Times, about the raid at the Capitol and why Machiavelli should be read and reread right now.
Text size
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the world’s leading airlines were racing to outdo one another on the luxury front, as evidenced by a raft of new airport lounges featuring all the perks and conveniences modern travelers have come to cherish. In recent years, a handful of independent operators have opened impressive airport lounges to the public as well, ensuring travelers don’t have to have top-tier airline status or a first-class ticket in order to lounge in style.
These facilities have become so comfortable, frequent fliers often find themselves planning their schedule in order to maximize their visit after all, when there’s chef-driven fare, state-of-the-art relaxation amenities, and sleek design touches that wouldn’t be out of place in the most stylish boutique hotels, what’s the rush?
It took millennia to find out.
‘In the High and Far off Times, the Elephant … had no trunk,’ wrote Rudyard Kipling. ‘He had just a blackish, bulgy nose, as big as a boot, that he could wriggle about from side to side.’ But there was one elephant’s child who was more curious than the rest. He wanted to know what the crocodile had for dinner. Since no one would tell him, he went down to the banks of the Limpopo to find out for himself. When he bent down to see, the crocodile bit his nose – and pulled until it was ‘nearly five feet long’. That, Kipling smiled, was how the elephant got its trunk. It’s a silly story, of course; but like all good tales, it contains a kernel of truth – or rather, the husk of a puzzle.
31 December 2020
Almost six months on from reopening its borders to international visitors, Dubai has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its residents and holidaymakers, while preparing to ring in 2021 in style.
The destination continues to take effective steps to build on the strategic initiative to reopen the city to tourists and facilitate travel while maintaining stringent health and safety protocols.
Dubai Tourism and
Emirates have partnered to offer all those who have already travelled to Dubai the opportunity to extend their trip until January 31st with fees for date changes waived on flights when issued in the same travel class.