"She [has] done more for the British essay than anyone in the last 150 years... if this were France they'd be posting the Legion D'Honneur through her door every morning." —Andrew O'Hagan
"I had never come across anyone who behaved so confidently or in such a cosmopolitan fashion." —Alan Bennett
Mary-Kay Wilmers has been a giant of the English literary world for
decades. She was integral in the founding of LRB in 1979 during the
year-long lock-out at The Times and has served as its editor in chief
since 1992. Under her leadership, the magazine has pulled no punches and
faced the inevitable controversies head on, leading the Observer to
wonder whether LRB is 'the best magazine in the world'. Which may
explain why, while most print media has been struggling, LRB has grown
to become the most circulated magazine of its kind in Europe.
This collection of Mary-Kay Wilmers' essays, book reviews, short
articles and obituaries handles subjects from mistresses to marketing,
and seduction to psychoanalysts, all with Wilmers' trademark insightful
wit. Throughout she uses her deep and varied knowledge to provide both
context and cutting criticism. This creates a portrait of a particular
slice of English culture in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.