has written for many magazines and websites – mainly on literary themes, European affairs and the environment. His recent work includes How Thomas Hardy Expressed His Doubt (2009) about controversial preparations for the 2012 Olympics in south-western England, and Drake’s Graffiti (2010), written to mark the establishment of the Marine Protected Area in Lyme Bay, near where he lives.
Racism has certainly exacerbated the destitution and exclusion of the Roma following the collapse of communism. But an encounter with a group of Roma in Lille reveals another dynamic at work. Rather than be forced to reflect on the fragile link between affluence and belonging, society pushes the problem to the edges. A reportage.