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Times
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Justin Welby fails to surprise with no hope for Pope
Justin Welby may have said that his ousting as Archbishop of Canterbury was based on a flawed report, but he is courting less controversy by asserting that he is unlikely to become Pope. Asked what his papal name would be, he opted for either Hadrian or Francis, but was keen to stress that a Welby papacy would be unlikely. 'I have had six children, therefore there is some evidence that I've not been entirely celibate,' he said, adding that he was also a 'lousy theologian'. Still, this needn't rule him out as a Pope, if the Borgias were anything to go by. Welby remarked: 'It was a Borgia who said, 'Since God has given us the papacy, we may as well enjoy it'. ' Glastonbury brings together the revolutionaries and the posh, and this year is throwing together particularly strange bedfellows. The other night, the same backstage VIP bar was frequented by the controversial band Kneecap and the uncontroversial Samantha Cameron. It's not like they have nothing in common, though. For instance, as she was a PM's wife, both have benefited from government money. Jeffrey Archer's success is not as impressive as it sounds. The former Tory MP's first novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, is still topping bestsellers' lists after racking up 25,000 sales last month, but he points out that this is worldwide and it's not all that impressive when you divide it by 151 countries. 'I got a call from Iceland saying your latest book is number one in the bestsellers' list,' he tells the Rosebud podcast. Archer, right, was filled with pride, until he asked how many copies had taken him to this giddy height. The answer was 83. Much excitement on the left this week about the potential for a new Jeremy Corbyn-led party. Many are saying that polls have shown it would get 10 per cent of the vote, but the pollster Joe Twyman offers a note of caution. 'May I gently suggest that 'would' is doing a lot of heavy lifting here,' he said. 'I say that as the official pollster for Change UK.' It is official — politicians don't talk like humans. A study to be published in Comparative Political Studies has found that politicians' speeches become more interminable as soon as they are elected. The study looked at 1.5 million extracts from speeches by Danish parliamentarians across a quarter of a century from 1997. It found that the speeches became less readable after the speaker was elected but this reverted as soon as their career ended. It's cited by the political scientist Philip Cowley in his latest for The House. 'You campaign in poetry, govern in prose,' he says, 'but even the prose suffers when in office.' With books like his new history of St Petersburg, the author Sinclair McKay has become an adept copy editor, but he learnt the craft the hard way. He used to be a diarist and tells me he got into terrible trouble when he wrote a piece about the political salon host Lady Carla Powell. She was furious about one word. He admits it was probably an error to call her 'fawnlike' in the first place, but what was worse was that he also got the third letter wrong and had to explain to Powell that he hadn't meant to suggest she was half-man, half-goat.
NDTV
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Jeffrey Archer Exclusive: "My Personal Hero Is RK Narayan, He Should Have Got The Nobel Prize"
In an exclusive tongue-in-cheek interview with NDTV, celebrated English novelist Jeffrey Archer and Indian author and ex-diplomat Amish Tripathi opened up in a rather fun way about the first ever Archer-Amish Award. Jeffrey Archer, whose latest work An Eye For An Eye took the literary world by storm, added all the 'just for laughs' moments to the interview. Amish Tripathi, best known for the Shiva Trilogy, started off the interview saying, "First of all, what an honour to have my name associated with someone I've been a fan of since my school days." The author said he is humbled by his name being mentioned in the same breath as the iconic British novelist, who penned Kane And Abel (1979), Only Time Will Tell (2011) and The Sins of The Father (2012). Jeffrey Archer added life to the interaction, expressing his admiration for his Indian readership. "And the Indians-they're among the biggest readers on earth. India still loves books." He further spoke about his ultimate fandom for the Malgudi Days author, "And, of course, you've produced so many giants over the years. My personal hero is R.K. Narayan. What a storyteller! (He) should've got the Nobel Prize. Should have - unquestionably," he tells NDTV. Dr. Shalini Mullick has been named the inaugural winner of the IGF Archer Amish Award for Storytellers. The honour has been presented in partnership with The House of Abhinandan Lodha at a ceremony held of day 1of IGF London being organised at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre. U.K. Minister for Culture Lisa Nandy presented a cheque of USD 25,000 to the winner for her novel, The Way Home. Mullick's book was selected as the standout piece for its moving and relatable exploration of grief, identity and healing. It is a story of three millennials seeking refuge in Goa as they traverse through their personal demons and discover themselves and the strength in friendship.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inaugural IGF Archer Amish Award to Spotlight Contemporary Indian Stories on Global Stage
$25,000 literary prize to amplify Indian voices globally LONDON, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- India Global Forum is set to announce the winner of the inaugural IGF Archer Amish Award for Storytellers next week. Launched at IGF London 2024, in partnership with internationally acclaimed authors Jeffrey Archer and Amish Tripathi, and sponsored by the House of Abhinandan Lodha, this distinguished literary prize, honours contemporary Indian fiction that reflects the diversity, aspirations, and vibrant energy of modern India, strengthening cultural bridges and fostering richer global dialogue. With a generous prize of $25,000, one of the biggest for fiction globally and alongside the ranks of some of the world's top literary prizes, the IGF Archer Amish Award positions Indian literature prominently on the world map, celebrating exceptional Indian authors whose works vividly capture the complexity and dynamism of modern India. Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, UK Government, will present the award along IGF Chairman Manoj Ladwa and authors Archer and Amish. Her presence highlights the UK's evolving cultural policy and funding vision, particularly the increased significance of India as a pivotal creative partner post-FTA. The distinguished finalists vying for this prestigious accolade include Nitya Neelakanthan, author of Navapashanam – The Quest for the Nine Magical Poisons; Yogesh Pandey, author of The Kill Switch; and Dr. Shalini Mullick, author of The Way Home. Commenting on the vision behind this pioneering initiative, Manoj Ladwa, Founder and Chairman of India Global Forum, says "The IGF Archer Amish Award embodies our commitment to amplifying Indian voices globally, championing narratives that spark cultural conversations and deepen mutual understanding at a critical juncture in UK-India relations." "Awards are very important because they give recognition, and they allow someone who had slaved night and day to achieve something to realise they're not on their own, stuck in a box," says Lord Archer, the prolific British author of bestsellers such as 'Kane and Abel' and 'The Clifton Chronicles.' Renowned author Amish Tripathi, who co-conceived the award and leads the judging panel, adds " This is an award that aims to encourage the gift of storytelling itself, and that is one of the key drivers. It is also around Indians talking about themselves, their own stories. The way Westerners see India, in a lot of ways through the Western lens, it is one narrative, one lens, which is very different from how Indians see India." The award ceremony is scheduled to take place at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London on 18 June, as part of IGF London 2025, marking a significant moment in the ongoing cultural dialogue between the UK and India. About India Global ForumIndia Global Forum tells the story of contemporary India. The pace of change and growth India has set itself is an opportunity for the world. IGF is the gateway for businesses and nations to help seize that opportunity. To know more, click here Social Media Handles & Hashtag to Follow Twitter: @IGFUpdates & @manojladwaLinkedIn: India Global Forum#IGFLondon Photo - - View original content to download multimedia:
