The Gist: A week of Christmas Crackers

Simon McGarr

27 Dec 2024 — 1 min read

To keep us all afloat in the great void of leftovers between Christmas and New Year, I've asked some people whose work I enjoy to contribute a piece to the Gist.

These are the Christmas Crackers you found on Stephens' Day and keep opening on the drifting mush of time afterwards. Like a cracker, you're never sure what you might get. We have essays, film criticism, short stories and a review of some of the Gist's 2024 in cartoon form.

Please enjoy, while unconsciously filling your mouth with chocolate from an open box of Merch for a 19th Century play nobody remembers.

Public Domain painting of a speaking dog toy, labelled speaking dog.

The Gist: AI, a talking dog for the 21st Century.

Séamas O'Reilly on the year's biggest con, AI. This is a Christmas Cracker Gist.

Simon Harris sits on a wicker chair as though it is made of thumbtacks and holds up a pint cc Number 10

Campaign Gist: FG finds the voters revolting

Whoever the winner of the election turns out to be, it's clear the loser has been FG. This is the Campaign Gist.

Campaign Gist: Building a Wall

There are six constituencies with a risk of a far right candidate taking a seat. This is the Gist.

Campaign Gist: Buffalo Stance

There wasn’t going to be a Campaign Gist until this happened. Now this is the only thing.

Read more

The Gist: AI, a talking dog for the 21st Century.

Campaign Gist: FG finds the voters revolting

Campaign Gist: Building a Wall

Campaign Gist: Buffalo Stance