Shaun Tan: ‘We’re always only seeing a thin skin of reality’
One of Australia’s most cherished and awarded picture book illustrators on what makes a good painting, the mechanics of life and the fine line between utopia and dystopia
Inside the undersea kingdom: the secret, sinister battle to control what lies beneath the waves
Every day, trillions of dollars, oil and gas and 99% of the world’s web traffic move through undersea pipelines under no state’s protection. With superpowers and corporations now vying for control, should we be worried about this potential new wild west of geopolitical power?
‘I’d like to explain why I was such a monster back then’: six writers on the apologies they wish they’d made
From making life hell for a young teacher to doubting the motives of a caring foster mother, Olivia Petter, Derek Owusu, Annie Lord and other writers repent for past bad behaviour
‘We left Ireland because there wasn’t work – and we wanted to get the hell away’: Trespasses author Louise Kennedy
Her Troubles-set debut became a hit TV series starring Gillian Anderson. Now the novelist has returned to her teen years for a follow-up. She talks about her journey from chef to author, and how her cancer diagnosis inspired her to write
Bruce Pascoe’s new book may spark another culture war. He hopes for ‘decency and intellectual curiosity’ this time
The Dark Emu author rails against Christianity, capitalism and colonialism – and Shakespeare and Charles Dickens cop a serve too. He’s ready for blowback
John Green got an astronomical following from his books. What came next? ‘I’m still competing for clicks’
Returning with his first-ever adult novel, the bestselling author reflects on fame, YouTube and his brother’s AI controversy
Why you should quit and not look back: ‘Saying yes to everything is saying no to what matters’
In her new book, The Case for Quitting: The Surprising Benefits of Opting Out, Lindsay Crouse discusses the costs and traps of never giving up – and how she set herself free
Jonathan Franzen: ‘It’s still mysterious to me that I was angry for so long’
The author of The Corrections talks about a new TV adaptation, the future of reading and why creating new work is ‘horrible’
‘The damage was much worse than I had imagined’: the shocking inside story of Salman Rushdie’s survival
After the writer was stabbed in a horrific attack, his wife started making a video diary of his recovery. The clips are featured in a new film from Alex Gibney, who drew on Dennis Potter to create a powerful portrait of Rushdie’s tumultuous life
Spermageddon, ‘greedy jobs’ and abject fear: why birth rates are plummeting – and why it matters
The author of Generation Maybe, Camilla Cavendish, explains the many reasons people are having fewer children, from dating apps to unaffordable housing and the climate crisis
She’s Donald Trump’s least-favorite Fox News host. But Jessica Tarlov remains undeterred
The 42-year-old liberal commentator regularly co-hosts the network’s 5pm talk show, taking flak from her conservative colleagues and harsh insults from the president.
Emily St John Mandel: ‘When half the electorate disagrees on basic reality, how do you come back from that?’
Her hit novel Station Eleven seemed to predict the pandemic, now the novelist is tackling the future of the US. She talks about chance, world-building and experiencing a ‘tiny bit’ of clairvoyance
‘I could get laid every night of the week!’: punk icon Legs McNeil on booze, benders and dating Sinéad O’Connor
As he releases a tell-all book, the Punk magazine founder and self-described ‘fuck-up’ holds forth on 1970s excess, the American roots of punk and why the Beatles are ‘stupid’
Julia Donaldson: ‘Am I the Gruffalo Granny? Not really. I’m the mouse’
As she introduces the latest member of her Gruffalo family, Julia Donaldson talks about storytelling, loss and the worries that come with being Britain’s all-time bestselling author
Naomi Klein: ‘Extreme wealth has a deranging effect. It turns you into a supremacist’
She’s tackled neoliberalism and the digital world, now the writer and activist is taking on tech billionaires. She explains how the super-rich are capitalising on climate and financial chaos in pursuit of power