Mark Haddon: Last News

students may find “offensive and upsetting”.The classic work, flagged up by the University of Northampton, is set in a totalitarian state which has mass surveillance and gave us the words “Big Brother”, “thought police” and “Newspeak”.But David Taylor, Orwell’s biographer, said: “I think 13-year-olds may find some scenes in the novel disturbing but I don’t think anyone of undergraduate age is really shocked by a book any more.”And Tory MP Andrew Bridgen fumed: “There’s a certain irony that students are now being issued trigger warnings before reading 1984.“Our university campuses are fast becoming dystopian Big Brother zones where Newspeak is practised to diminish the range of intellectual thought and cancel speakers who don’t conform to it.”Other works flagged up include Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time for including the “death of an animal, ableism and disability and offensive language”.Sally Rooney’s Normal People, made into a hit BBC show, is considered problematic because it contains “gender, sexuality, abuse, violence, self-harm, suicide” references.A University of Northampton spokesman said: “While it is not policy, we may warn students of content in relation to violence, sexual violence, domestic abuse and suicide.“In these circumstances we explain to applicants as part of the recruitment process that their course will include some challenging texts.”It comes after one university even scrapped the term "trigger warning" fearing its use alone could upset snowflake students. Stay up to date with all the latest Daily Star news by signing up to one of our free newsletters here. Warwick University last year deemed the phrase too "provocative" for those on its literature and drama

David Leon has reprised his role as DS Joe Ashworth in ITV's Vera after a decade away from the series, but he also starred in a forgotten TV role and had a football career. The actor, 43, who first starred in the ITV drama from 2011 to 2014, returned to his role with a bang on Sunday, January 7, much to the delight of Vera fans as series 13 kicked off.The new series also welcomed back Brenda Blethyn playing the titular detective, DCI Vera Stanhope, while Kenny Doughty, who played Aiden Healy and Ibinabo Jack, who portrayed DC Jacqueline Williams have not returned for this series.

David Leon is arguably best known for starring in ITV series Vera as DS Joe Ashworth, but many will also recognise him from a number of other TV series including Cutting It. The 43 year old star, who has reprised his role in Vera after nine years away from the show, starred in the BBC drama back in 2004. He portrayed coffee shop manager Troy Gillespie, who was also the half-brother of Mia Bevan, portrayed by Amanda Holden.

Andrew Scott, the hot priest in Fleabag and Bond villain in Spectre, will dominate the West End in the fall by playing all the roles in Vanya, a new adaptation of Chekhov’s masterpiece Uncle Vanya.