Bookmarks
Editor's picks
Faïza Guène / People wanted me to say: Thank you, France
People wanted me to say: Thank you, France
The big idea / Is a world without violent conflict really possible?
Is a world without violent conflict really possible?
The books of my life / Ian Rankin: ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is a perfect gem of a story’
Ian Rankin: ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is a perfect gem of a story’
Animal magic / Why intelligence isn’t just for humans
Why intelligence isn’t just for humans
Obituaries / Liza Picard
Liza Picard
Audiobook of the week / My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley review – a portrait of mother-daughter resentment
My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley review – a portrait of mother-daughter resentment
Books of the week
Tiepolo Blue by James Cahill review – a bold debut of psychosexual awakening
Tiepolo Blue by James Cahill review – a bold debut of psychosexual awakening
A repressed art historian expands his horizons in a 90s-set novel that moves from campus satire to something queerer in every sense of the word
All in My Head by Jessica Morris review – an attempt to make the incurable treatable
Faced with a devastating diagnosis, Morris responds by doing all she can to improve the odds of survival for her, and others
Fight Night by Miriam Toews review – a war cry for rebellious women
The relationships between three generations – child, mother, grandmother – are brilliantly observed in a novel full of humour and pain
The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland review – the man who broke out of Auschwitz
The astonishing story of how Rudolf Vrba escaped the Nazi camp, and his mission to tell the world about it
Beyond Measure by James Vincent review – worth its weight in gold
This enlightening book reveals the importance of scales and rulers to humanity’s survival and how measurement can be used for inhumane purposes
Spotlight
Authors weigh the meaning of authenticity
Hay festival / Authors weigh the meaning of authenticity
Who can write about whom was a running question, tackled by writers from Rose Tremain to Damon Galgut
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Talking points and news
Costa book awards scrapped suddenly after 50 years
Costa book awards scrapped suddenly after 50 years
Coffee company announces ‘difficult decision’ to end the prizes, sparking a chorus of disappointment across the books industry
Shakespeare First Folio copy estimated to fetch $2.5m in New York auction
Book printed 400 years ago is one of fewer than 20 copies in private hands
Unseen works by ‘queen of gothic fiction’ Shirley Jackson published
Two previously unseen short stories by Jackson, rated by Stephen King as one of the great horror fiction writers, are to appear in US magazine the Strand
Murdering the competition: Richard Osman thriller tops UK library loans
Stats from 2020-21 reveal that the Pointless presenter’s The Thursday Murder Club is the biggest hit in UK libraries
Edinburgh International book festival announces new hybrid format
Director Nick Barley says lessons from the pandemic include providing a more accessible festival, so half of this year’s offering will be available online
Cressida Cowell renews call for £100m investment in primary school libraries
The outgoing children’s laureate has transformed six primary schools through her Life-changing Libraries initiative, but says a ringfenced fund is needed for lasting impact
From the archive
Why books need literary prizes
Why books need literary prizes
Robert McCrum: The Costa and Booker prizes may be a literary lottery but awards have more influence now than reviews
World-building for science fiction and fantasy: A weekend bootcamp
Saturday 25–Sunday 26 June
Learn what makes fantasy worlds so compelling and how to create your own fully immersive fictional setting with writer Sally Gales.
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