Arts and Culture

Black History is a rich and complex tapestry. In this spirit, BONNIE GREER introduces one of her ancestors, an African American slave owner

Exploring the tiny village the world's most powerful man chose to make his home (briefly)

From inhaling rotten apples to lying in an open coffin, the bizarre rituals of great writers

A rediscovered diary charts an abandoned baby’s journey to Trafalgar and beyond

This play's stars do their best with a chatty, speculative and somewhat credulous script, says TIM WALKER

Africa is finally getting something back from the long, long money trail that has procured its talents for the rich Europeans

An accidental boat trip to a remote island monastery saved the composer and gave birth to his First Symphony

The band who soundtracked the fall of the Berlin Wall are back with a post-Covid anthem

In Buying Wordle, The New York Times raised a few eyebrows. But, it does make sense in this digital age.

JASON SOLOMONS on one of European cinema's most glamorous stars - and an unlikely affair with his own grandfather

TIM WALKER is impressed by Lia Williams' taut and efficient production

Sea Power vocalist Yan on changing the band's name and facing a backlash from Dan Wootton

With Briton Dave Ryding going for gold in Beijing, now's the perfect time to celebrate the 44 years of a BBC institution

The anticipated crash of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is humankind’s first act of celestial littering, says WILL SELF

CHARLIE CONNELLY on the Viennese artist who shocked the laissez-faire populace of his native city

If NFTs are the future of art then the future looks bleak. But, if it is supposed to be representative of the era that generates it, then perhaps it is what we deserve.

PETER TRUDGILL on how people with no common native language once communicated, and how that gave birth to the secret slang Polari

Given we’re still in the depths of winter pie is the keenest way to mark the end of Veganuary, says JOSH BARRIE

Long deemed "unmanageable", Mario Balotelli might be the man to rescue Italy's World Cup qualification

How the story of a plane full of doppelgängers became a literary sensation in France. By CHARLIE CONNELLY

The Downton Abbey actress shows Gardner, rather than keeps telling us about her, writes TIM WALKER

Alistair McDowall's production is just incomprehensible, writes TIM WALKER

A new documentary reveals the brutality of the Home Office’s Hostile Environment Policy and shows how Britain is no longer a refuge. By JASON SOLOMONS

One of Poland's most fascinating contemporary figures, Darski is leading the charge against the country's restrictive blasphemy laws

As Gordon Ramsay recreates his ground-breaking Savoy Hotel restaurant, SOPHIA DEBOICK savours the life of Auguste Escoffier

Following the success of Fleabag, Normal People and Drag Race UK, the channel returns after six years online. Now, it just needs the scheduled content to match the hype.

The traditionalists who decry the vandalisation of history actually have very little real appetite for that history, says WILL SELF

CHARLIE CONNELLY on a Jewish actress who considered a kick in the behind from Hitler the luck of her life

PETER TRUDGILL examines the origins of words about who governs us, and finds the oligarchy has been around longer than you’d think

A stage adaptation of Pierre La Mure's novel lacks wit and intelligence, writes TIM WALKER.

ROB HUGHES on the potential return of Christian Eriksen, eight months after his heart stopped suddenly on the pitch

Advice for authors is rarely as honest and valuable as in a posthumous book by a great Polish poet. By CHARLIE CONNELLY