Libby Brooks



Profile:
Full name:

Area of interest: Society, family and women's issues

Journals: The Guardian

Email: [mailto:libby.brooks@guardian.co.uk libby.brooks@guardian.co.uk]

Website: Guardian.co / Libby Brooks

Blog:

Representation:

Networks: Facebook page | Twitter: "libby_brooks"



Biography:
Education: Oxford University: Law

Career: joined The Guardian in 1998: feature writer; women’s editor, 1999/2001

Current position/role: Deputy comment editor


 * also writes/written for:

Other roles:

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TV/Radio:

Controversy/Criticism:

Awards/Honours: Catherine Packenham Award for young women writers, 1996; British Press Awards: Young Journalist of the Year, 1998

Scoops:

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Books & Debate:

 * The story of childhood : growing up in modern Britain OCLC67871524, 2006

Latest work:

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Current debate: 

The Guardian:
Column remit: Society, family and women's issues

Column info: not a regular weekly column

Section: comment & debate (when in print)

Role: Deputy comment editor

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:libby.brooks@guardian.co.uk libby.brooks@guardian.co.uk]

Website: Guardian.co / Libby Brooks

Commissioning editor:

Day published: variable, most often Thursday

Regularity: varies

Column format:

Average length:



Articles: 2011

 * flowers that feed us'' - In austerity, we want all things to be useful. Let's not forget the human needs beauty sustains - 27th May
 * the end of a marriage, it's hard to be a politician's wife'' - Chris Huhne's estranged wife is writing a memoir about their breakup – but is it so clear that she's only motivated by revenge? - 13th May
 * down, dear? Do me a favour David Cameron – language matters'' - Women's position in society is already being weakened by this government. Cameron's words should not undermine it further - 29th April
 * the anti-abortionists' tiny steps towards reform'' - The combination of US-style activism and big society localism poses a real threat to a woman's right to choose - 15th April
 * divided even the Chartists'' - The tension between legal and illegal protest at the anti-cuts march is not the preserve of the left, nor a modern phenomenon - 1st April
 * ugly totem for the abject failure of our criminal justice system'' - At 10, our age of criminal responsibility is the lowest in Europe. But can you ever use age to determine maturity? - 19th March
 * Orgasmatron won't help female desire. Honesty will'' - The quest for a Viagra for women is all part of a commodification of sex that is at odds with an intimate human freedom - 4th March
 * is not the way to keep us safe from sex offenders'' - David Cameron's 'stand against paedophiles' is more to do with ditching the human rights act than protecting victims - 18th February
 * taming of Jade Goody'' - As a tragic heroine of our time, the late Big Brother star is the perfect subject for a play at Shakespeare's Globe theatre - 12th February
 * new name won't put the asbo genie back in its bottle'' - Plans to reform antisocial behaviour orders could free up police, but years of rhetoric have raised public expectations - 4th February
 * middle England village is the Gypsies' deep south'' - Stigmatised as dirty and deviant, the travellers' way of life has effectively been criminalised. But what are we so afraid of? - 21st January
 * and our ignoble tradition of racialising crime'' - Dubious claims about Muslim men grooming white girls hide legitimate worries about a system that fails victims of abuse - 7th January



Articles: 2010

 * Brown: a hero of 2010 for his dignity in defeat'' - We all know he was a flawed PM, but Britain needs Gordon Brown's faith in international economic co-operation - 24th December
 * one gains from this 'rape-rape' defence of Julian Assange'' - The unlikely alliance between leftwingers and the misogynists of the Wikiblokesphere is worrying and does nothing to help the WikiLeaks cause - 9th December
 * play is good for adults too'' - The risk-taking and passion of the playground might be just what adults need in austerity Britain - 3rd December
 * transfiguring qualities of silence and solitude'' - In today's clamouring climate, two minutes' remembrance can feel awkward. But the ability to be quiet is vital to our wellbeing - 12th November
 * vampires, ghouls: the stuff of cultural catharsis'' - Horror films offer an inventive filter for our real anxieties – which may explain the genre's current renaissance - 29th October
 * for advice? Stop Googling and get some rest'' - As Claire Rayner knew, the mind-boggling detail on every conceivable dysfunction available online is no substitute for the basics - 15th October
 * image of children rests on who takes the picture'' - While adults fret about taking photographs of children, the young happily post pictures of themselves online - 23rd July
 * is about more than crochet – it's a design for life'' - Our knowledge economy may place little value on physically making things, yet the benefits and satisfaction are immense - 24th June
 * comfort on the progressive campsite'' - To judge from the Compass hustings, it will be a challenge to insert a cigarette paper between Labour's leadership candidates - 14th June
 * extreme, engrossing – tune in to channel poverty'' - Scottish documentary The Scheme is just the latest example of how the story of the poor is contorted on television - 28th May
 * years on, the pill can still spark rows and work magic'' - Raquel Welch's remarks only confirm that the revolution triggered by the invention of the oral contraceptive lives on - 14th May
 * is an assault on children'' - Europe outlaws it, yet Britain clings to physical punishment. A ban may be hard to enforce, but the message is crucial - 30th April
 * must address young people's concerns, without YouTube clips'' - Registration among the 18-24 age group has increased. Whether this foretells a rush to the polls remains to be seen - 26th April (Cif at the polls)
 * happened to the politics of happiness?'' - The consensus seems to be that talking feelings is no vote-winner. But wellbeing should be at the centre of the debate - 2nd April
 * retribution'' - Justice is a public health concern too. Offenders meeting victims can cut the trauma crime causes - 19th March
 * patronising Question Time'' - If the calibre of panellists on the women-only Question Time said anything, it's that the main parties aren't bothered about women - 13th March
 * personal is political, but more than porn and housewives need debating'' - These exaggerated, almost fatalistic versions of femininity deny difference – and cast men merely as avoiders or consumers - 5th March
 * dignity of labour'' -The value of manual work is being lost, leaving us dislocated from the material world and the joy of making things - 2nd March
 * winner takes it all'' - Citizen ethics: Popular culture tells us that success is within our grasp if we only try hard enough. But talent-show meritocracy doesn't work - 26th February
 * lives are human, yet the internet never forgets'' - With public and private selves so blurred online, we need fully to grasp the implications of our new indelible identities -19th February
 * parable of John Terry'' - Speculations on celebrity infidelity furnish us with modern fables – blurring further our grasp of reality - 12th February
 * for gangs don't work. This talking cure just might'' - Instead of issuing control orders, Westminster can learn from a radical project that has curbed violence in Glasgow - 22nd January
 * right to choose was not meant to be about Botox'' - The era of perfectability has seen feminist calls for autonomy distorted into a row about rights to self-mutilate the body - 15th January



Articles: 2009

 * Gaelic longboat, and the healing power of heritage'' - Some of Scotland's most deprived citizens are finding how liberating history – and not the Mel Gibson variety – can be - 9th December
 * Jane Andrews I knew'' - The press portrays the former royal aide as a gold-digging harpy because our society can't deal with the complexities of abuse - 26th November
 * can kill comedy. But not all jokes need telling'' - Taking offence easily on others' behalf is likely to curb truly creative work, rather than rein in cruder gags and stereotypes - 13th November
 * weekend behind bars showed me why this prison is precious'' - HMP Grendon is the one facility of its kind that embraces that brave idea of redemption. It works. Don't let it be destroyed - 30th October
 * nudge too far'' - Rewarding people for healthy living has earned results but the long-term implications are alarming - 16th October
 * can't buy a hamster, but you can be tried as an adult'' - Age-related legislation is an amusing muddle, but it sends young people a warped message about what adulthood means - 2nd October
 * must listen to children and young people first'' - A new public services: If we genuinely care about engaging with young, vulnerable people, we must reassess support and intervention services - 30th September
 * Hollywood, can we have some romantic comedies for adults, please?'' - We've had a decade of slacker men and striving women. But neither sex is uniquely phobic – or keen – about growing up - 18th September
 * and punishment'' - The voluntary sector has long played a vital role in prisons. But running a jail is a troubling step too far - 4th September
 * Moss deserves a picture postcard, instead of the bitter glare of Heat'' - My collection of cards depicting the Edwardian star Gabrielle Ray evoke an age that held a very different idea of beauty - 21st August
 * and Gordon set a good example: voluntary service trumps compulsion'' - Obligation is no way to spur people into civic action. A new and willing young cohort are trying a different approach - 7th August
 * for a good scrap about what our feminism really is'' - Fresh books will give lots to disagree with. Bring on 'infighting' if it means rigorous, honest debate about what we believe - 24th July
 * the economic rubble, a revolution is being knitted'' - Tactile and egalitarian, nourishing and slow, arts and crafts are enjoying a deserved revival in our recession-hit society - 10th July
 * invitation to reoffend'' - The short-term prison sentence is a disaster for offenders and society. But there are alternatives - 26th June
 * In the workfare state, poverty is always an individual failing - The welfare reform bill has a message: long-term unemployment will be punished, regardless of health or dependants - 12th June
 * Susan Boyle myth'' - I'll be cheering Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent – just not the fantasy of exceptionalism being sold as part of the story - 29th May
 * is a national disgrace that in 2009 rape almost always goes unpunished'' - Today's measures can have little impact in the face of a culture that systematically neglects victims of sexual assault - 15th April
 * curious legacy of Jade Goody'' - Remarkably, in mourning a reality TV star, Britain may find itself reflecting on ideas of life and love - 23rd March
 * clubs are not cafes. They are the sex industry on the High Street'' - It is nonsense to paint this trade as harmless or liberating. Reforms are welcome, but risk opening new loopholes - 19th March
 * mind the evidence - a drug-free world is nigh'' - The harm caused by prohibition is staggering, yet still politicians cling to the blinkered ambition of a global 'war on drugs' - 5th March
 * to skirt around the issue'' - I hate letting the Daily Mail make me angry, but I can't help it: how dare they be so nasty about Mrs Burnham and her hemline? - 26th February
 * death in close-up offers more than crass reality telly'' - Beyond class snarkiness, Jade Goody's story is a testing event in a society that has lost so much of its sense of ritual - 18th February
 * time to bin the myth of middle-aged female misery'' - You now hear of hot sex along with hot flushes, but still the menopause is lazily portrayed as something only to dread - 12th February
 * between the covers'' - A new wave of erotica subverts the usual porn conventions, and invites debate about pleasure - 29th January
 * Crunch need more than just McJobs'' - The new apprenticeship scheme is welcome, but strict steps must be taken to ensure it is not just employers who benefit - 16th January



Articles: 2008

 * heroes be unsung'' - The public should not be allowed to vote, X Factor-style, for place names: trust me, I know the risks - 30th December 2008
 * bureaucratic kicking won't help lone parents into work'' - The new child benefit rules make a mockery of Labour's rhetoric on choice and hurt those who most need support - 20th November 2008
 * rewards of the hermit'' - Modern society struggles for genuine intimacy and solitude. Who are we to call Leopard Man crazy? - 30th October 2008
 * not pinkwash proper discussion about this disease'' - It's easy to see why breast cancer captures our imaginations. But the industry around it raises uncomfortable questions - 2nd October 2008
 * The missing 17% - Harriet Harman's new equality bill stops short of the one measure that could really make a difference to the pay gap - 22nd September 2008
 * Zombie Dawn. Now it's Day of the Feral Youth'' - If horror films help us confront our worst fears, then working-class kids have become the stuff of middle-class nightmares - 18th September 2008
 * bet the house on it'' Cash-poor older people are turning to equity release in droves. The risks for them are grave - 4th September 2008
 * and accessibility needn't be a recipe for worthy tedium'' - Efforts to cure society via culture can seem haughty or anti-aesthetic, but we'd be fools to close the doors on diverse audiences - 21st August 2008
 * others might live'' - A review of the shocking case of Julia Pemberton could transform attitudes to domestic violence - 8th August 2008
 * Down with glamping - Camping is about many things, but luxury isn't one of them. If you can't leave town without a Cath Kidston tent, just stay at home - 7th August 2008
 * The debate on rape should focus on rapists, not victims - Arguments over women's reasons for disclosing - or not - sexual assault must not drown out the crucial conversation - 17th July 2008
 * The truth is some smokers are more equal than others - A year after the ban, advocates for free puffing make a powerful case. But they fail to recognise choice is about class, too - 1st July 2008
 * Virtuous circles - It may not make the revulsion go away, but a new community scheme for sex offenders works - 19th June 2008
 * Let's talk about sex - Hay festival 2008: Some frank discussion from India Knight and Kathryn Flett shed light on attitudes to female sexuality - 1st June 2008
 * A punitive crackdown will never fix this knife crisis - There is urgent need to reclaim public space for the young, but a return to the days of stop and search could prove toxic - 29th May 2008
 * Spirit of the Wombles - If the anti-globalisation movement disappeared after 9/11, its lessons have entered the mainstream - 15th May 2008
 * Forget shoes and men - this show nailed our friendships - Beyond the Manhattan fantasy, Sex and the City gave a rare depiction of the complexity and value of women's relationships - 1st May 2008
 * Ten years on, the echoes of Simon's death are deafening - Too many workplaces remain minefields for casual labourers a decade after the avoidable loss of one popular 24-year-old - 17th April 2008
 * Our view of our houses allows no place for Travellers - Ignored in the 'land grab' hysteria is how we have criminalised the way of life of Britain's most deprived ethnic group - 3rd April 2008
 * False memoir syndrome - Trauma hucksters' lies must be exposed, but autobiographers deserve some creative licence - 20th March 2008
 * This is about power, not shared sexual characteristics - Polemics about female ambition and sisterly duty provoked by the Clinton candidacy show feminism is evolving - 7th March 2008
 * Beyond the digital divide lies a new world of intimacy - The rush to blame the Bridgend deaths on social networking reflects adult ignorance of the role of technology in young lives - 21st February 2008
 * Tyranny of the invisible - Ten years after the first Vagina Monologues, the V-word is still abhorrent to contemporary culture - 7th February 2008
 * Paedophiles can find it all online - except help to stop - To cut offences like Chris Langham's, we should treat sexual abuse as a public health issue and discuss it without taboo - 16th January 2008
 * American psychos - US elections 2008: Hillary Clinton's revival is all the more remarkable since she has run the gauntlet of a truly vicious streak of media misogyny - 9th January 2008



Articles: 2007

 * A tide of bland imagery tells girls that sexy is everything - Pre-teens are increasingly being deluged with the message that an alluring appearance ought to be their ultimate goal - 20th December 2007
 * Dumbed-down masculinity erases men from parenting - There are numerous valid alternatives to the conventional family unit. But we are forgetting the value of male influence - 5th December 2008
 * Feminism and romantic love make very happy bedfellows - Despite the forces ranged against the f-word, those who embrace it have stronger relationships - and are better in bed - 15th November 2007
 * CCTV is no silver bullet - it risks making life less safe - It's not only about civil liberties. The cameras produce fallible images, encourage detachment, and corrode civic values - 1st November 2007
 * British women's right to choose is under covert attack - A study linking abortion to breast cancer is among the 'evidence' being used in a bid to change a policy fought for 40 years ago - 17th October 2007
 * Youthful enthusiasm - I don't think I've ever seen a conference so alive with ideas, goodwill and determination to act than I did this week at one hosted by Kids Company - 12th October 2007
 * The notional paedophile now dictates what we can look at - Whatever the artistic import, images of naked children are now viewed by society exclusively through a sexual filter - 4th October 2007
 * Nappily ever after - The reviewers are praising Knocked Up to the skies, but isn't it the longest pro-life propaganda movie ever to make it into the mainstream? - 28th August 2007
 * Women innocent of crime fiction charge - Ian Rankin's claim that female writers - particularly lesbians - produce the most violent fiction is very inaccurate, and very insulting - 16th August 2007
 * Fasten your seatbelts... - ... you're in for a bumpy ride. Libby Brooks sifts through the best and worst of this summer's bestselling airport novels - 28th July 2007
 * A sense of history - Libby Brooks, 1999 - 2001 (Series: 50 years of the womens' pages) - 18th July 2007
 * Scotland's other national drink - The launch of Irn Bru flavoured sausages is a cause for serious celebration - 30th May 2007

Hay Festival 2007


 * The limits of the new creativity - Charlie Leadbeater wants to take us all to his techonological utopia. It's a great offer, but I have a few reservations - 27th May 2007
 * Hay festival: Rendell's amoral universe - Ruth Rendell discusses crime, punishment and genre snobbery - 27th May 2007
 * Walls of silence - Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka argues passionately for an end to fence-sitting over Darfur - 26th May 2007
 * The responsibility of the novelist - Samir El-Youssed, Mohsin Hamid and Gabriel Vasquez discuss complexity in fiction at Hay - 26th May 2007


 * What's in a friendship? - The growth of social networking on the internet throws up some profound questions about the nature of our relationships 11th May 2007
 * Kids' stuff - The way we treat our children is likely to generate some of the most exciting ideological battles of this century - 26th March 2007

Series: The Politics of Wellbeing
 * Freedom at any cost - David Monteith has always been particularly proud of his great-great-great-grandfather Archibald - a slave who bought his freedom, wrote his life story and inspired future generations - 24th February 2007
 * Donations to clarity - Last night's debate on the politics of wellbeing attracted many disparate voices, but to keep the conversation going we need much more focus - 22nd February 2007
 * Joy divisions - Happiness is a privilege, but the current debate on wellbeing risks turning it into a commodity - 21st February 2007


 * It's not enough to say we should listen to children - The UNICEF report on the well-being of children - 15th February 2007
 * So unlucky in love - Kylie's stellar status does not protect her from the dilemmas that ordinary women agonise over - 6th February 2007
 * Social studies - At an admittedly middle-class discussion on class, the consensus was that it's about power, autonomy and self-determination - 3rd February 2007
 * Woman's best friend? - The successful, single female has been assigned a new emotional crutch - increasingly, she is portrayed in the company of a cat - 18th January 2007

