Terence Blacker

The writer and broadcaster Terence Blacker contributes a twice-weekly column on a wide range of social, cultural and environmental issues. He is the author of four novels, of prize-winning fiction for children, and has written a highly praised biography of the brilliant reprobate Willie Donaldson.

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Terence Blacker: Could Ken's civic-spirited ways win voters' hearts?

The Way We Live: It’s a touching scene, Ken, the women he impregnated surrounded by their growing family.

Recently by Terence Blacker

Terence Blacker: Cruel jokes are just a symptom

Friday, 21 October 2011

There's a connection between the nastiness of Gervais and mistreatment of the old

Terence Blacker: We should give jockeys a fair crack of the whip

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

The Way We Live: Racing is still a socially hierarchical sport in which jockeys remain below stairs

Terence Blacker: The Lottery - as obscene as any banker's bonus

Friday, 14 October 2011

There has never been a moral scam quite as shameless as the National Lottery

Terence Blacker: Ronnie Wood, a heroic talent of our time

Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Here is an artist who encapsulates everything great about modern Britain

Terence Blacker: Prudent is the last thing they want us to be

Friday, 7 October 2011

There are those – and I am not making this up – who honestly believe that party conferences are a waste of time. That they are a schmooze for lobbyists, a general goosing-up of the party faithful, but they hold nothing of interest for the rest of us. How wrong these people are. The past few days may have revealed little in terms of policy but, when it comes to the more important stuff about how the Government believes we should all be living our lives, it has been tremendously useful.

Terence Blacker: Vicky Pryce and the curse of shared pain

Tuesday, 4 October 2011

Social Studies: The best way to avoid being seen as a victim is to keep quiet

Terence Blacker: You still gotta stick it to The Man, man

Friday, 30 September 2011

One by one, the chicks and dudes of yesteryear are having their say. They are part of a lucky generation, never having had to fight a war, catching a wave of personal liberation four and a half decades ago, and now checking out before things get too heavy on Planet Earth.

Terence Blacker: We seem to believe we have a right to litter

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

Social Studies: Infantilising people is hardly likely to make them more adult

Terence Blacker: Writing about your life can shut it down

Friday, 23 September 2011

There is something undignified, even a touch absurd, about someone agreeing to tell the story of his life, only to change his mind when the words have taken shape on the page. When the memoirist happens to be well-known, the false start can look like something of a tease – an act of self-importance and fake humility.