My spirituality as a humanist
(Dedicated to the late Robin Williams, based on a conversation between Hughman and Warner) Is there any value in spirituality? As a non-believer you might expect me to say no;…
Mind, Body & Life
It’s getting even harder for American women to have safe abortions
The underhand tactics of the pro-life movement in Texas are beginning to restrict the freedom of women who wish to undergo safe abortions – not just in the Lone Star…
Everything must go
What happened when Ariane Sherine decided to sell half of all her possessions and give the money to charity?
Let’s stop being so embarrassed about food
Good cuisine has the power to bring joy to all. Talking about it should not be dismissed as a middle-class indulgence, says Julian Baggini
In pursuit of happiness
A policy revolution is under way to improve our well-being. Are its motives genuine? Niki Seth-Smith reports
The strange story of Burkina Faso’s “pleasure hospital” tells us about the difficulties in eradicating FGM
There are currently around 125 million women alive in the world who have undergone some form of female genital mutilation (FGM), a procedure in which female genitalia are altered or…
What on earth is mindfulness?
Cheap and easy to deliver, a new mental health treatment is all the rage. But should we be asking tougher questions about its effectiveness?
What Norwich City taught me about life
This piece is from the Winter 2013 edition of New Humanist. Subscribe here. Whenever I’m asked for a short biography, for a talk or a panel appearance, I always send…
Danger zone
Centuries of fear and loathing mean the vagina remains taboo. Can a new generation of feminist writers rehabilitate this troublesome organ?
Somebody loves me… I wonder who?
Laurie Taylor receives an unsolicited email