Books

Forget the headlines. Children's reading comprehension is on the decline, and their books are to blame

A new book eschews cosy nostalgia to explore the fractures that Europe’s picture postcard tourist traps keep hidden

Two new novels evoke the eeriness thrumming through small coastal towns, where lives wash up like the debris on the beach

They all did. But they campaigned for it anyway

The irony at the heart of his moral philosophy is as relevant today as it was in the 18th century

Painstakingly plotted, the Swedish author’s bestselling debut Collected Works weighs in at 733 pages – over a quarter of a million words

Looking at the blurred and bloody borders of Habsburg history through the writings of Joseph Roth

Even the greatest of writers – from John Steinbeck to Maya Angelou – suffer from the idea that they’re about to be found out

Raising the spectre of ‘war’ against Covid promoted irrational panic

The great European author, who died earlier this month, didn’t leave Croatia – her country left her

In the literary snake pit, writers and critics tend to either suck up to one another frantically, or bite down hard so as to inject their venom yet deeper

The era of gentle persuasion, finding understanding and preventing conflict seems to be coming to an end. Can it be revived?

How Brigitte Reimann, once an idealistic socialist, wrote one of Germany’s great post-war novels

The Cuddy author has a rare gift for finding the right voice for the right people in the right era

Should undiscovered Terry Pratchett stories, and other posthumous work, be published?

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