Hachette India

Human Relations and Other Difficulties

Mary-Kay Wilmers

Mary-Kay Wilmers has been a giant of the English literary world for decades. She was integral in the founding of LRB in 1979 during the year-long lock-out at The Times and has served as its editor in chief since 1992. Under her leadership the magazine has pulled no punches and faced the inevitable controversies head on leading the Observer to wonder whether LRB is 'the best magazine in the world'. Which may explain why while most print media has been struggling LRB has grown to become the most circulated magazine of its kind in Europe.

This collection of Mary-Kay Wilmers' essays book reviews short articles and obituaries handles subjects from mistresses to marketing and seduction to psychoanalysts all with Wilmers' trademark insightful wit. Throughout she uses her deep and varied knowledge to provide both context and cutting criticism. This creates a portrait of a particular slice of English culture in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Mary-Kay Wilmers

A giant of English letters Mary-Kay Wilmers was a founding contributor and editor of LRB and has served as the magazine's editor in chief since 1992. Under her leadership the magazine has grown to be the largest of its kind in Europe with a circulation of more than 70000.

After an itinerant youth spent between America Portugal Switzerland and Belgium Mary-Kay Wilmers moved to the UK to read French and Russian at Oxford. Initially planning on a career as a simultaneous translator Mary Kay-Wilmers instead found work as a secretary at Faber and Faber and as a contributor to the New Statesman. She went on to serve as deputy editor at the Listener and later worked for a time at the Times Literary Supplement before founding LRB.

This book is being published to mark her 80th birthday.