Jamie Mackay

Writer and translator , Italy

Jamie Mackay is a writer and translator whose work has appeared in The Guardian, Frieze and The Times Literary Supplement, among others. He is the author of The Invention of Sicily (forthcoming, Verso Books, 2021). He lives in Florence, Italy.

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Written by Jamie Mackay

Back view of a muscular statue with hands on hips looking towards a white, modern bridge with a cloudy sky background.

essay

The ancient world

The whitewashing of Rome

White supremacists fetishise ancient Rome – but antiquity was more diverse and polychromatic than racists will admit

Jamie Mackay

A hazy sepia-toned painting of a topless woman looking down with a soft expression and long hair blending into the background.

essay

Stories and literature

Eros at play

Why the ancient erotic poems of Sappho and Wallada bint al-Mustakfi are far more stimulating than modern pornography

Jamie Mackay

A Japanese woodblock painting depicting women and a child in a communal bathhouse setting, performing washing and grooming activities.

idea

Rituals and celebrations

Why we need to bring back the art of communal bathing

Jamie Mackay