Culture news Author Sally Rooney vows to keep backing banned Palestine Action group Sally Rooney says she will defy the UK’s ban on Palestine Action, warning the move sets a dangerous precedent for free expression in the arts and public life. 18/08/2025
Culture news A royal scandal: Key takeaways from scathing new Prince Andrew exposé “Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York”, by Andrew Lownie, “traces the life of the late Queen’s second son.” It hits the shelves today. Here are some of the key takeaways from a scathing exposé. 14/08/2025
Culture news Fans flock to Finland to celebrate as Moomins turn 80 Eight decades after their debut, the Moomins remain Finland’s most treasured literary export. Fans flocked to the official Moomin Museum to honour the impact of the beloved characters. 12/08/2025
Culture news Rare first edition of 'The Hobbit' sells for record price at auction The book was discovered by chance in a house in Bristol. It is one of 1,500 original copies of Tolkien’s famous 1937 novel. 07/08/2025
Culture news Remembering MI5’s first female boss and author Dame Stella Rimington The former head of the British Intelligence service and author Stella Rimington was the first female (and publicly-named) MI5 chief, as well as the inspiration for Dame Judi Dench’s M in the James Bond films. She died aged 90. 07/08/2025
Culture news ‘107 Days’: Kamala Harris to release memoir about 2024 presential run In a video announcement on social media, the former US Vice President described the upcoming book as "a behind-the-scenes account" of her experience on the campaign trail. 01/08/2025
Culture news Beloved British children's author Allan Ahlberg dies aged 87 The author of classic titles like 'The Jolly Postman', 'Peepo!' and 'Funny Bones' wrote "mini masterpieces" that have endured for decades. 01/08/2025
Culture news Algerian court upholds writer Boualem Sansal’s 5-year prison sentence The novelist’s case has united European lawmakers, who have demanded Sansal's release. His case has raised alarm over freedom of expression in Algeria, and his supporters now hope military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune will grant a pardon on Saturday, when Algeria marks Independence Day. 01/07/2025
Destinations Write, seal, and wait: A letter café arrives in Paris Café Pli is the first of its kind in Europe, inspired by Nuldam Space, a similar concept café in Seoul, South Korea. 29/06/2025
Culture news 'Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86 Forsyth wrote more than 25 books including "The Afghan," "The Kill List," and "The Fist of God" that have sold over 75 million copies, his agent Jonathan Lloyd said. 09/06/2025
Culture news Stephen King puts Trump vs Musk feud into perspective with savage post The celebrated author adds his name to a long list of celebrities commenting on the very public feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The fallout between the two former allies has also led many online to draw a comparison with one cult 2004 movie... 09/06/2025
Culture news Celebrated Kenyan author and dissident Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o dies aged 87 Widely regarded as east Africa's most influential writer, Ngũgĩ’s fiction and nonfiction books traced his country's history from British imperialism to home-ruled tyranny and challenged not only the stories told but the language used to tell them. 29/05/2025
Culture news AI blunder: US newspaper's book list recommends non-existent books The recommended reading list contained some works of fiction. It also contained some works that were, in fact, actually fictional. 22/05/2025
Culture news Banu Mushtaq makes history with International Booker Prize win It is the first time that the award has been given to a collection of short stories. "Heart Lamp" is the first book written in the Kannada language to win the prestigious prize. 21/05/2025
Culture news Man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie faces sentencing in New York A jury found Hadi Matar, 27, guilty of attempted murder and assault in February. He is expected to be sentenced today, with Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt saying he will request the maximum 25 years in prison for the 2022 attack that left Salman Rushdie blind in one eye. 16/05/2025
Culture news Algeria issues two arrest warrants for Gouncourt winner Kamel Daoud The author is accused of having used the story of a survivor of a massacre during the Algerian civil war without her consent – an accusation he denies. Daoud’s publisher denounced the “violent defamatory campaigns orchestrated by certain media close to a regime whose whose nature is well known.” 08/05/2025
Culture news Pulitzer Prize 2025: Who are this year's winners? Acclaimed novelist Percival Everett, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and composer Susie Ibarra have won Pulitzer Prizes this year in the arts, while the Washington Post wins for coverage of Donald Trump's shooting. Here are the winners in full. 06/05/2025
Culture news Gruffalo set to return next year with first book in more than 20 years British writer Julia Donaldson and German illustrator Axel Scheffler have announced they are working on a new outing for the monster in the deep dark wood... 01/05/2025
Culture news Set of first edition Shakespeare plays to sell at auction next month Today is The Bard's 461st birthday and Sotheby's auction house has announced the sale of a set of First, Second, Third and Fourth Folios. 23/04/2025
Living These climate-conscious booksellers are turning words into action From an old coal barge in Leeds, to picturesque Shaftesbury and radical Edinburgh, UK booksellers discuss bookselling during the climate crisis. 21/04/2025