Books
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A travelogue of final resting places seeks to make readers confront their own mortality -
Kazuo Ishiguro AI, gene-editing, big data ... I worry we are not in control of these things any more
The Nobel-winning author talks about scaring Harold Pinter, life after death – and his new novel about an ‘artificial friend’ -
Authors choose the Kazuo Ishiguro novels closest to their hearts, including Never Let Me Go, The Buried Giant and The Remains of the Day
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Scholar longed to write novels, yet never succeeded, a new biography reveals -
A spell at home is surely a good opportunity to write, so why are so many authors struggling? William Sutcliffe, Linda Grant and more share how the pandemic has stifled their imaginations
2021 in books
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Kazuo Ishiguro returns with a novel about an artificial friend, Zadie Smith brings the Wife of Bath bang up to date, Bill Gates takes on the climate crisis ... a literary calendar for the year ahead
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Is social mobility possible or even desirable in Britain today? In a timely polemic, an Oxford historian sets out her egalitarian vision -
From ‘No means No’ to #MeToo – original thoughts on consent and the complexities of female desire
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The prostitutes of Georgian London power this deeply satisfying follow-up to Shepherd-Robinson’s acclaimed Blood & Sugar -
Belonging and exile are at the heart of this novel of dislocation and trauma -
The long-awaited follow-up to The Raw Shark Texts falls into some plot holes, but remains ingenious fun
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A young woman grapples with selfhood in the social media age in the combative American critic’s sharp debut novel -
The British poet examines the nature of hospitality in this TS Eliot prize-winning book -
The British author weighs the worth of a writer’s life in this intimate blend of memoir and fiction
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Brian Jacques’ tale of valiant mice and no-good rats introduced me to fantasy fiction. My daughters love it too, and here are some reasons why everyone should
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From bonding over bees and a deft exploration of race to a lipstick-loving toddler, the latest illustrated stories are a joy -
Secrets in the second world war, great female scientists, a wonder dog, a slug in love and more
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The bestselling Chilean American novelist talks about her foundation for women, laughing too much to write romance - and what she’s learned from her grandchildren -
The poet’s latest collection, How to Wash a Heart, was partly inspired by a news story about a liberal white couple taking in an Asian refugee -
The Scottish crime writer on working in a newsroom in the 70s, coping with lockdown and the transformation of attitudes to gay couples in her home nation
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The author’s new thriller revolves around a deadly neurotoxin. He talks about its parallels with the poisoning of Russia’s opposition leader Alexei Navalny - and why today’s protests in his homeland give him hopeThe best books to understand contemporary Russia -
The Muscovite’s work is arriving in English this year in three books of remarkable memoir, poems and essays that, she explains, reach for ‘the truth of the past’
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The Golden Hill author talks about the family tragedy that fed his love of reading, being a middle-class socialist and why he’s trying to ‘scuff off’ the period glow of historical fiction
What to read
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Robert McCrum has reached a verdict on his selection of the 100 greatest novels written in English. Take a look at his list -
After two years of careful consideration, Robert McCrum has concluded his selection of the 100 greatest nonfiction books of all time. Take a quick look back at five centuries of great writing -
Regulars
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The TV presenter, author and Women’s prize judge on reading To Kill a Mockingbird at nine, the influence of Malorie Blackman and her love for David Almond’s novels -
A snowy night camped out under the stars provides the stage for a close encounter with a mysterious creature
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From Zadie Smith’s new take on Howards End to Michael Cunningham’s reworked Virginia Woolf, these tales refresh books we thought we knew
You may have missed
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From Wentworth’s letter in Persuasion, to a bedside proposal in Tales of the City, authors share their favourite scenes of love and intimacy -
The author’s new thriller revolves around a deadly neurotoxin. He talks about its parallels with the poisoning of Russia’s opposition leader Alexei Navalny - and why today’s protests in his homeland give him hopeThe best books to understand contemporary Russia
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The authors of a study on the fate of Polish Jews under Nazism have been told to apologise to a woman for defaming her uncle. The implications for future historical work are alarming
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As well as fighting to keep Covid patients alive, NHS staff are now battling a surge in abuse and denial in the second wave. Dr Rachel Clarke on how she is coping – and what gives her hope
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Observer book of the week Friends by Robin Dunbar – how important are your pals?