‘I didn’t discover rationality until I went to England’: Neil Jordan on Tom Cruise, sandwich-boarding and seeing his dad’s ghost

Warring with Harvey Weinstein, marvelling at Tom Cruise, realising Mona Lisa and many other films were about himself … the great Irish director looks back on his astonishing career

‘I wouldn’t call it a victory’: Fossil Free Books organisers on Baillie Gifford’s exit from literary festival funding

Despite its role in bringing the asset manager’s sponsorships to an end, the activist group has faced criticism that ‘not a dime has been divested from fossil fuels’. Four of its campaigners speak out

Ukrainian author turned soldier Oleksandr Mykhed: ‘This is not Putin’s war. This is a war waged by the whole Russian nation’

In 2022, the writer was living an ordinary life with his wife in Kyiv. Now, after fleeing his home and volunteering for the army, he’s written a powerful account of the past two years

‘They didn’t dwell on it – they felt so many had suffered more’: Mishal Husain on her family history and the partition of India

In her new book, written around 3am starts for Radio 4’s Today, the BBC presenter turns her gaze from the daily grind of British politics to her grandparents’ lucky escape

Sunday with Jacqueline Wilson: ‘It’s called the South Downs, but it mostly seems to be up’

The author on an early start, eggs by the dozen and Jeremy Clarkson’s piglets

Lorrie Moore: ‘I identify with Beth in Little Women, who dies’

The acclaimed American author on the humour, horror and anger in her latest novel, what she would have as her epitaph and the writers she most admires

Climate scientist Susan Solomon: ‘Let’s not give up now – we’re right on the cusp of success’

The US atmospheric chemist on why she doesn’t share the pessimism of most climate scientists, fixing the ozone layer, and why Jacques Cousteau is her hero

Palestinian author Raja Shehadeh: ‘All this solidarity from the world – yet nothing has changed’

The Palestinian human rights lawyer and author Raja Shehadeh talks about his hopes and fears for his homeland, and finding a place of refuge amid the chaos of war

The US librarian who sued book ban harassers: ‘I decided to fight back’

After Amanda Jones got death threats for speaking out against censorship, she sued her attackers and wrote a memoir

‘I’m a fan of chaos’: Blondie’s Chris Stein on Bowie, Debbie Harry and 50 years in rock’n’roll

In his candid new memoir, the guitarist talks about the glory period of Parallel Lines and how addiction and loss altered his life

‘Rapper’s Delight planted a seed for the rest of my life’: Questlove on hoarding, capturing hip-hop history and the Kendrick-Drake beef

The drummer, DJ and Oscar-winning director is a key custodian of Black culture, with 200,000 records to prove it. So why does he think he’s getting too old for rap music?

Darius Rucker on country music, race and drugs: ‘I don’t think anyone went harder than us’

The singer’s memoir recounts a life of ups and downs, with record-breaking success accompanied by critical snobbery and racial bias

‘I was told I was stupid’: Peep Show’s Paterson Joseph on his debut novel – and writing three operas

He starred in Peep Show, Green Wing and Wonka – and his first novel won an award. Now the star is making operas with 64 homeless people. Not bad going for someone who was written off by his teachers

‘It is worse now’: The Bookseller of Kabul author Åsne Seierstad on returning to Afghanistan 20 years on

The Norwegian writer on meeting the Taliban, her fears for girls’ education, and the legal battle that ensued after the publication of her bestselling book

‘Entire evenings of my life have been shaped by the internet’s review culture’: why we’re obsessed with rating systems

From movies to gyms to holidays, we all love handing out a star rating. Joel Golby explains why – and reviews his life over the past week