Penda’s Fen reinvents Mercia for the modern age
How an experimental British 1970s television play pioneered a folk horror revival
Samuel McIlhagga
Samuel is a features writer and reporter whose work has appeared in the Financial Times, UnHerd, Jacobin and the LA Review of Books. In 2024, he won The Independent’s Rupert Cornwall Prize
Porn stars: the Birmingham university leading x-rated academia
With its porn studies strand, BCU earns its reputation for the radical
Let the battle for Moseley commence!
‘Well, who's being divisive?’
The Smithfield saga
Why is Birmingham struggling to develop a massive inner city brownfield site?
The flags dividing Birmingham
A local effort has snowballed into a national campaign — is it patriotism or something more sinister?
Droitwich's Raven Hotel was empty for 15 years. Then it burned down
Historic, beloved — and completely neglected
The revolution starts in Moseley
The Workers Party claims they're about to shake up Birmingham's politics. Birmingham isn't so sure.
Woon Wing Yip built an empire. Is it in decline?
Once locally beloved and a touchstone for the Chinese disapora, Wing Yip is fading on both fronts
Small Heath is drowning in rubbish. So why doesn’t the council’s data say so?
'I paid money for this, I have a contract with the council for this. Make sure you include that in your piece'
The curious case of the missing councillor
Plus: who are the movers and shakers shaping Brum — and Britain — in years to come?
No water, dead horses and a legal battle to save Bewdley's plotlands
A multi-millionaire bought Hill Farm. Then the eviction notices started
Did Birmingham have to go bankrupt?
Bin strikes, equal pay claims and a disputed £500m
Fireworks, fraud accusations and fallouts at the Westside BID
Gerald Manton and Mike Olley were firm friends until they weren’t. What happened?
With Rembrandt, a bid for relevance?
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is still struggling to find its footing