LETTER : Of cabbages and future kings

Mr George Walden
Tuesday 14 November 1995 00:02 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

From Mr George Walden

Sir: In his kind report of my Booker speech in Saturday's Independent, John Walsh said I had described British culture as a "vegetating catastrophe". This is not so. What I said was that a French writer (Celine) had once described Russia in that perceptive phrase. I went on:

The British do not go in for catastrophes. We are content to vegetate. And as long as you vegetate you are staving off catastrophe.

The distinction, if you are the cabbage in question, is important.

Of my attack on nostalgia, Mr Walsh says that a return to the past can be a search for meaning. He is clearly right; not to understand that would be to overlook one of the sources of the Renaissance. He also makes an excellent point about the cramping effect of journalism on modern fiction, which I wish I had included in my speech.

What I criticised specifically were the Prince of Wales's pastiche villages, nationalist politicians trying to revive long-dead enemies, costume dramas on TV, our reversion to a tired form of modernism (brilliant in its day) in art, and the sort of historical biographer who informs us excitedly that they had sex then too.

I hope Mr Walsh agrees that there is little new meaning to be had from such sources, which are part of the national escapism so evident in our politics. Perhaps that is why Virginia Bottomley looked so displeased at my speech?

Yours faithfully,

George Walden

MP for Buckingham (Con)

House of Commons

London, SW1

11 November

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in