David Hayes

David Hayes is a co-founder of openDemocracy. He has written textbooks on human rights and terrorism, and was a contributor to Town and Country (Jonathan Cape, 1998). His work has been published in PN Review, the Irish Times, El Pais, the Iran Times International, the Canberra Times, the Scotsman, the New Statesman and The Absolute Game. He has edited five print collections of material from the openDemocracy website, including Europe and Islam; Turkey: Writers, Politics, and Free Speech; and Europe: Visions, Realities, Futures. He is the editor of Fred Halliday's Political Journeys - the openDemocracy Essays (Saqi, 2011)

England, a country of the mind

The tendency to press reality into a heritage mould traps England in political aspic, says David Hayes.

By David Hayes

/ 19 Sep 2011

9/11, ten years on: reflections

A terror-filled day of mass murder in the eastern United States imprinted itself on the world's consciousness - and became the prelude to a decade of further violence. openDemocracy writers reflect on the impact and legacy of the events of 11 September 2001.

By David Hayes

/ 7 Sep 2011

England’s two solitudes

A four-night outbreak of riotous disorder in London and other English cities in early August 2011 is a potent argument for social repair. But lack of agreement on fundamentals could soon prove fatal to progress, says David Hayes.

By David Hayes

/ 19 Aug 2011

Derick Thomson at 90: Gaelic poet in the world

Ruaraidh MacThòmais (Derick Thomson) has as poet, scholar, teacher and editor made a profound contribution to Gaelic literature over six decades. The quality and range of his work deserve belated recognition in the context of the culture he has done so much to enlarge, says David Hayes.

By David Hayes

/ 5 Aug 2011

The London bombs, five years on: a digest

The coordinated bomb-attacks on London’s transport network on 7 July 2005 (“7/7”) left dozens dead and hundreds wounded, and marked the lives of millions in the city and beyond. The political, intellectual and security issues raised by the event were extensively discussed on openDemocracy in the e

By David Hayes

/ 7 Jul 2011

The foreign correspondent: James Cameron, 1911-85

A voice of wry observation and quiet authority that made humane sense of distant events to a domestic public helped James Cameron become the most respected international journalist in post-1945 Britain. But is there room for his world-reporting craft in a very different media age, asks David Hayes

By David Hayes

/ 17 Jun 2011

In with the bricks, out for life

A recollection of openDemocracy’s early days, by David Hayes.

By David Hayes

/ 12 May 2011

Ten years, ten articles: a retrospect

openDemocracy is ten years old. Its deputy editor David Hayes chooses his favourite articles from the archive, one from each year of publication.

By David Hayes

/ 12 May 2011

Cornelius Cardew: a life unfinished

The English composer Cornelius Cardew (1936-81) was among the most adventurous, controversial and innovative musicians of his generation. After an initial association with Stockhausen and the European avant-garde,

By David Hayes

/ 7 May 2011

Thinking of Cambodia

(This article was first published on 17 April 2003) I was thinking about Cambodia tonight. I remembered the Ben Kiernan story about his first visit back after the genocide, and

By David Hayes

/ 17 Apr 2011

The Arab spring: protest, power, prospect

What is the “Arab spring” becoming? After three months of upheaval, repression and conflict, the democracy wave in the region, including Iran, is at a crucial stage. openDemocracy authors offer concise perspectives on a complex and fluid political moment.(The first contributions in this series wer

By David Hayes

/ 11 Apr 2011

Japan: from tsunami to change

The effects of the catastrophic earthquake in Japan’s northeast will be felt for years to come. How Japan responds will help to define its capacity to meet other 21st-century tests, says David Hayes.

By David Hayes

/ 14 Mar 2011