Authenticity is a Con

Description

Politicians are now told they must be 'authentic'- like Nigel Farage, drinking, smoking, men of the people. Food has to be 'authentic' meaning, presumably, made in ovens of clay with woods taken from the right tree in Tuscany or Bengal, using milk from named cow breeds which have been grazing on particular age old grass etc. It is all a con says York - the authenticity brigade is taking people for a ride. Nothing is real, and that's no bad thing!

Peter York is an author, broadcaster, journalist, management consultant and cultural commentator. He was Style Editor of Harper's & Queen for ten years and he co-authored The Sloane Ranger Handbook in 1982. He has written nine other books, most recently The Blue Riband, as well as a flood of articles and several television series. He is the co-founder of the Pimlico Society, which helps the indigenous people of Pimlico in their struggle for recognition and self-esteem.

"An ambitious new series that tackles the controversy of the topics explored with a mixture of intelligence and forthright argument from some excellent writers." The Observer