Echoes of Odysseus: why the spoken word still holds power
As Odysseus returns to film, a look at how oral storytelling could shape how we listen, remember and process information
By Daisy Dunn
Art & Culture
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Art & Culture
The best cigar advisers
Welcome to the Spear’s ranking of the best cigar experts advising wealthy collectors, investors and enthusiasts
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The best antiques and collectibles advisers
Welcome to the Spear's ranking of the top antiques and collectibles advisers to assist HNWs during the entire ownership process,…
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The best wine advisers
Welcome to the Spear’s ranking of the best wine advisers who can guide collectors and investors on the purchase, storage…
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The best art advisers
Welcome to the Spear’s ranking of the best art advisers including gallery owners, independent consultants, provenance researchers and valuers
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Big four auction houses scramble amid $10 billion art market slump
A sharp downturn in the global art market threatens to hit the major auction houses where it hurts
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The Spear’s reading room: notable books to read now
The books to read now, including Helen Lewis on geniuses and Elon Musk, and Ian McEwan much-anticipated 'science fiction without…
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Robert Macfarlane’s new book asks ‘Should nature have legal rights?’
The British nature writer explores the idea that natural entities deserve legal standing in 'Is a River Alive?'
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Ex Libris: The Secret History of Gold, by Dominic Frisby
Dominic Frisby brings a lightness of touch to his account of how gold has both inspired and corrupted for centuries
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Isha Ambani announced as committee chair for Cate Blanchett-co-hosted Serpentine summer party
Ambani, daughter of Asia's richest man, Reliance Industries boss Mukesh Ambani, has been confirmed as chair of the inaugural Host…
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A passage back to India
India's spectacular book festivals make Hay and Cheltenham look parochial with panels filled with superstar writers from all over the…
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The best art lawyers
These are the best art lawyers as featured in the Spear's Legal Indices 2025
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A chinwag with the man who trains dogs for the world’s super-rich
Charlie Thorburn has spent two decades quietly crafting the ultimate luxury companion: the perfectly trained gundog for the global elite
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Book reviews: war, wealth and the fate of the US dollar
From the global economy’s roots in warfare to the future of American financial dominance, here are the books that we…
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Global art sales tumbled in 2024 as high-end market cooled
While global art sales slipped in 2024, the UK reclaimed its spot as the second-largest market, while China continued to…
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How to avoid buying stolen art – and what happens if you accidentally do
The recent case of a woman in Norfolk refusing to return a stolen painting bought in 'good faith' by her…
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‘People keep trying to get me into the movie industry’: John Caudwell on film
We catch up with billionaire John Caudwell about his latest project
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Is a robot painting worth $1 million or is it just hype?
Ai-Da, the humanoid robot artist, just made headlines by selling a painting for over $1 million at Sotheby’s. But as…
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Why AI will eat itself
What happens when the material on which AI trains is itself almost entirely already AI-generated?
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Meltdown: A thorough analysis of the rise and turbulent fall of Credit Suisse
The chequered 167-year history of Credit Suisse is deftly analysed in this new release, says Martin Vander Weyer
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