Books

Celebrating 100 years of the subversive eccentric feted by the Beatles and John Peel

The exiled reporter who turned soldier to fight against Putin’s invaders

Svetlana Alexievich’s books chart the horrors of history through witness testimony rather than fiction

A gripping work of literary fiction – soon to be a Netflix series – sheds light on the Sámi’s plight

Are bulging bookshelves really “smug and cultish” – or sources of much-needed tranquility?

Prince Harry and his wife may be absurd, but the reaction to his book shows almost everything he says about his family, and the press, is true

What a new collection by some of France’s greatest writers tells us about the art of the short story

I set out on a quest to find the grave of a someone I never knew, thanks to a book with a story

This week's gossip and scandals in Westminster and the media brought to you by MANDRAKE

Two late works shed light on his four-decade link with a remarkable scientific institution

A new book tells the story of two of Britain’s most famous mystics

There are literary delights to look forward to this year – but authors won’t be getting a pay rise

On the second anniversary of the storming of the US Capitol, a first-hand account recalls the carnage of the day Donald Trump’s supporters tried to seize power

Three works which will require room on your shelves

Sri Lankan ghosts, queer love and a fictional nation all made for riveting reading this year

A searing music memoir, goshawks and John Donne all featured in 2022’s best non-fiction

Why Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's novel remains a story for all eras

Most authors and publishers would be sorry to see it collapse

Thirty years ago, one writer captured the essence of the game like no one before him

Spain’s most important port is over 300km from the sea

Libraries are vibrant places of hope, discovery and opportunity. They are in desperate need of funding and we cannot afford to let them perish

Winter nights in Iceland are long and dark – just how writers like them

On the eve of a new translation of the author’s diaries, the question arises, is the Kafkaesque now just completely normal?

In an extract from his new book, Geoff Dembicki asks how the world would be now if the oil sands industry had not been so successful in blocking action to stop the climate emergency

The prestigious French award is a reliable source of controversy

Authorities initially dismissed the link between Covid and a loss of smell and taste - until they couldn't. Now, a deeply disconcerting experience for millions has prompted a rush of research that will have benefits for the future

Britain needs strong economic growth. One of the world’s leading economists explains why that’s not going to happen

As you’re not having much luck with your emails – perhaps try reading some books instead

Welcome to Europe’s future, in which Britain holds a referendum in 2041 to rejoin the European Union

We are running out of time to manage the coming upheaval before it becomes deadly. We need to change our thinking

The lives of the early 20th-century gentry who fled to safety – but also to poverty – in Paris

From Dracula to The Haunting of Hill House, it all leads back to The Castle of Otranto