Good for you. I like your long form writing a lot, so I hope it is a success!
In the meantime, why not advance schedule some repeats of your favorite older pieces from the substack? Or a chapter or two from Tory Boy? I'd hate to go several months without reading you, and being prompted to reread an older piece would be worthwhile. (Yeah, I know I could get Tory Boy off the shelf and reread a chapter on my own or go back through the archives myself, but being prompted to reread some bits would make me more likely to do it.)
"I hugely enjoy writing a substack, but I think a break is probably necessary from time to time. In the distant past East Asian administrators would sometimes leave their positions to spend time contemplating in a monastery, a tradition which Lee Kuan Yew sort of followed by taking a sabbatical at Harvard (where he learned the valuable lesson that American elites believe all sorts of wacky stuff about the world)."
Another interesting East Asian tradition seems to be a fondness for hereditary succession among non-monarchical leaders:
Good luck on your break, Ed (I assume you're standing in the Holborn and St Pancras Byelection and look forward to you being in Parliament soon(.
Ed, if you could write a short book, that would be excellent. Gets you on the podcast circuit which will increase your Substack subscriptions.
As Conor said, your productivity is mind boggling. I have had several subscriptions and nobody is as prolific as you. Best content out there!
What if I accidentally discover that western civilisation isn’t doomed while you are away ?
Ed: you will be missed and your sabbatical will result in several large holes in my week. But there is always the archive . . .
Seriously, thank you for your energy, enthusiasm, wide-ranging rsearch and approachable yet impressionable writing style.
And, if you are anywhere near Carlisle, it would be great to meet you.
Your productivity the last few years has been insane, especially since the quality hasn’t dropped. Well earned break, enjoy
thank you, Conor
Good for you. I like your long form writing a lot, so I hope it is a success!
In the meantime, why not advance schedule some repeats of your favorite older pieces from the substack? Or a chapter or two from Tory Boy? I'd hate to go several months without reading you, and being prompted to reread an older piece would be worthwhile. (Yeah, I know I could get Tory Boy off the shelf and reread a chapter on my own or go back through the archives myself, but being prompted to reread some bits would make me more likely to do it.)
So thats it is it, I'm going to have to actually do some work at my job rather than sit around reading your substack, thoughtless.
I shall miss your posts hugely.
Enjoy your break.
Ed is interesting even when he is writing about nothing, a real gift.
thank you!
If you come to Leicester I'd like to meet you.
I'll message you Keith
Enjoy your break, I shall look forward to your return!
You deserve it! I wish I could take a few months off to reset batteries and finish a few projects.
Looking forward to your updates in due time.
thank you!
Enjoy the break. Well earned!
I will miss your fascinating posts. Have an enjoyable, restorative sabbatical; I and all of your subscribers will look forward to your return.
"I hugely enjoy writing a substack, but I think a break is probably necessary from time to time. In the distant past East Asian administrators would sometimes leave their positions to spend time contemplating in a monastery, a tradition which Lee Kuan Yew sort of followed by taking a sabbatical at Harvard (where he learned the valuable lesson that American elites believe all sorts of wacky stuff about the world)."
Another interesting East Asian tradition seems to be a fondness for hereditary succession among non-monarchical leaders:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Hsien_Loong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Ching-kuo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hun_Manet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcos
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiko_Fujimori
Question for AMA: what top 5 books, movies, TV shows, documentaries would you recommend from having read or watched over last couple of years?
Thank you!