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Mark Nayler

Mark Nayler

The Spectator

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Lost for words / Can you ever be fluent in a foreign language?

A couple of weeks ago, at one of my local bars in Antequera, a waiter asked me something as he served our glasses of wine. I didn’t catch it, so I...

18.11.2024 10

The Spectator

Mark Nayler

All Souls is the SAS of academia

‘What sort of book might Satan write?’ ‘Why do people watch horror films?’ ‘Should we give up hope?’ These were three of the questions...

08.11.2024 7

The Spectator

Mark Nayler

Ring leader / Meet England’s octogenarian matador

It’s a sunny October morning at a bull-breeding ranch north of Seville, and 82-year-old Frank Evans is preparing to step into the ring. Born in...

17.10.2024 2

The Spectator

Mark Nayler

Can David Lammy solve the Gibraltar dispute?

The British government is preparing to lodge a formal complaint with Spain over Gibraltar. Spanish military aircraft have twice flown over the Rock...

05.10.2024 20

The Spectator

Mark Nayler

If Spain doesn’t impress you, what will?

As a Brit who has lived in Spain for almost a decade, I must take issue with Zoe Strimpel’s recent article arguing that it’s the ‘worst country...

02.10.2024 2

The Spectator

Mark Nayler

There’s nothing wrong with a Japanese flamenco dancer

Japanese dancer Junko Hagiwara has become the first non-Spaniard to win one of Spain’s most prestigious flamenco competitions. Yet when Hagiwara...

05.09.2024 3

The Spectator

Mark Nayler

Catalonia can’t escape the curse of independence

In a low-key ceremony in the Catalan parliament on Saturday, Spain’s former health minister Salvador Illa was sworn in as the new president of...

14.08.2024 4

The Spectator

Mark Nayler

Don’t call it tapas / The problem with pintxo

Visiting San Sebastián last month, I was reminded of the joys and hazards of grazing. The speciality in this chic city, and throughout Spain’s...

09.08.2024 1

The Spectator

Mark Nayler

Meet the pianist who actually makes recitals fun

No matter how much you love music, going to a piano recital can be an uncomfortable experience. A sombre-faced pianist plays in an atmosphere of...

23.07.2024 1

The Spectator

Mark Nayler