The Editors

Speak Up for Libraries, 'a coalition of organisations and campaigners working to protect libraries and library staff, now and in the future', is lobbying Parliament this afternoon. Anyone who needs reminding what's at stake could reread Alan Bennett's piece published in the LRB last July:

Neal Ascherson will give the first of the LRB Winter Lectures at the British Museum on Friday 2 March, on 'Europe': Europe is a monster (monstro simile, as they said of the Holy Roman Empire) and a mutant, a creature in its substance unlike the kingdoms and empires and states which preceded it. It's a sponge, indeterminate in outline, soft in texture, absorbing incomers and diffusing wealth and culture. How can it survive? You can book tickets here.

John Burnside has won the T.S. Eliot Prize for his collection Black Cat Bone, which also won last year's Forward Prize. Two of his poems that will be in the next issue of the LRB are online now.

A message from the editorial board of Özgür Gündem, Turkey's main Kurdish newspaper: The police forces raided the building of our newspaper, Ozgur Gundem, two days ago, on 20 December 2011. They copied all our hard discs and took all the information in the computers. They prevented us to work, the publication of the newspaper was literally blocked for more than 20 hours. Our newspaper has been published with the solidarity of other dissident newspapers. We published a newspaper comprised of 4 pages yesterday. In the past, we also had to publish our newspaper comprised of 4 pages once, on 3 December 1994. It was the day after when our newspaper was bombed. From the beginning until today, 76 journalists, writers, distributors, editors of our newspaper, Ozgur Gundem, have been killed.

Two poems, one by Christopher Logue, the other by August Kleinzahler and dedicated to Logue.