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Harry Eyres established the FT’s Slow Lane column, which celebrates the creative use of down-time, in January 2004. Before that in a varied journalistic career he was a theatre critic and arts writer for The Times (1987-1993), wine editor of Harpers & Queen (1989-1996), wine columnist for The Spectator (1984-1989) and the first and so far the only Poetry Editor of The Daily Express (1996-2001). He has written on wine and food, travel, theatre, literature and music for most of the UK’s leading newspapers.

In addition to his journalistic work Harry Eyres is a published poet, editor of LSE Environment, the newsletter of LSE’s Centre for Environmental Policy and Governance, and teaches London theatre for a consortium of American universities. He wrote the Beginner’s Guide to Plato’s The Republic for Hodder & Stoughton’s Beginner’s Guides to Great Works series. He was born in London in 1958, read English at Cambridge University and holds the Diploma de Estudios Hispanicos from Barcelona University and an MSc in Environmental Assessment and Evaluation from LSE. - -

Fools rush in and lose out

As time becomes a nuisance to be traversed as quickly as possible, space with all its intricate detail, can be sacrificed, writes Harry Eyres

In pursuit of perfectibility

After visiting a gripping Leonardo da Vinci show, Harry Eyres is reminded of our capacity to be transformed by the soul’s quest for beauty

A vital space to Occupy

The overriding impression from the Occupy St Paul’s camp was not of dope-fuelled haze but of uncanny premonition, says Harry Eyres

Low mileage in grand theories

Harry Eyres hopes 2012 will turn out to be a year not of grand theories but of small and even faltering insights

Touched by tales aloud

A reunion with friends reminds Harry Eyres of the power of the spoken word and how it makes salient the humanity that binds us

Plan C for humanity

Instead of belt-tightening and borrowing more, Harry Eyres proposes restoring depth, empathy and feeling to help kick-start the economy

Glory amid the gloom

If 2011 has ended in a mood of economic pessimism then it is all the more reason for dwelling on aspects of life that might restore the human spirit Harry Eyres

A modern Jerusalem

Harry Eyres cites the poet William Blake who counsels not despair but an unceasing ‘mental fight’ in harmonising social and economic goals

Little England’s larger legacy

Old churches remind us that though Britain has been an island for 8,000 years, it has also always been part of the continent, writes Harry Eyres

Hard to keep your head down

What seems to be lacking is a justified confidence in where we, collectively, are going, or a faith in fundamentals, writes Harry Eyres

When it’s time to pull out the stops

Gifting labours of Hercules

Golden taste of winter

Gone, but not forgotten

Future imperfect

Café society with the flâneurs

Far-sighted but no visionary

Civilisation, or just civility?

When restoration is not enough

Wise words, well delivered