Christina Patterson

Christina Patterson joined The Independent in 2003 as deputy literary editor and is now a full-time writer and columnist. A former director of the Poetry Society, and literary programmer at the Southbank Centre, she writes on culture, politics, books, travel and the arts and does the weekly "big interview" for the Arts & Books section. Interviewees have included Martin Amis, Alastair Campbell, Werner Herzog, David Starkey and Bryn Terfel.

Christina Patterson: Forgiveness? All very nice, but rather overrated

Sometimes, as John Lydon sang, in his post Sex Pistols band, ‘anger is an energy

Recently by Christina Patterson

Christina Patterson: Let the men eat cake (and have a chat)

Thursday, 26 November 2009

One of the exhausting things about being a woman is that there's no brief answer to that social stalwart: "How are you?" In the workplace, maybe. In the street, maybe. Even at a party, maybe, but only if you don't know the person asking you well. But with a friend? With any, in fact, of your 20 close friends? Not a chance. There's no way out. Over a glass or 10 of chardonnay, or a slice or 10 of chocolate cake, you'll have to start from the beginning and work your way grimly through to the end.

What we can learn from the Sikh in the BNP

Saturday, 21 November 2009

Christina Patterson: For ethnic harmony, you can go the route of a Tito or a Saddam Hussein

Christina Patterson: Didn't we have a lovely time the day we went to Basra

Saturday, 14 November 2009

We can visit foreign countries - and discover that who we elect really matters

Christina Patterson: Why it's hard to be a blonde in the City

Thursday, 12 November 2009

Two tales of the City. In the first, an attractive blonde meets a City financier, and is very, very cross because she is treated like "an Eastern European mail-order bride". In the second, an attractive blonde meets a City financier and is very, very cross because, she says, he tried to kiss her, even though he doesn't fancy blondes. Dearie me. It's hard to be a blonde in the City.

Christina Patterson: Why negative thinking makes the world better

Saturday, 7 November 2009

Who started the Iraq war? A man who picked out a rug to reflect his 'optimism'

Christina Patterson: My boss is discriminating against me

Thursday, 5 November 2009

Newspaper offices waste quite a lot of paper. So, in fact, do newspapers, as yesterday's splendid pine tree becomes (depending on your point of view) today's finely crafted chronicle of our times, or semi-literate showbiz goss, and tomorrow's guinea-pig toilet.

Christina Patterson: Why we can't resist a little dice with death

Saturday, 31 October 2009

They need a ‘gap year’ because they’ve barely been allowed past their front door

Why politics isn't just a game for the boys

Saturday, 24 October 2009

Christina Patterson: We’ve seen what happens when a gung-ho, risk-ridden male culture prevails.

Christina Patterson: If you want to be adored, just shut up

Thursday, 22 October 2009

So, poor old Hollywood's got its knickers in a twist about Twitter. The biggest, slickest marketing machine in the world can't keep its hands off a medium that's all about youth, and being plugged in, and being hip, that's also, like, instant, and, more importantly, free, which is totally cool, but there's just one little problem. The stars.