No New York by Adele Bertei review – a vivid, vibrant, musical coming of age

1970s and 80s New York are viscerally evoked in this potent memoir of the ‘no wave’ scene

A Far-flung Life by ML Stedman review – a masterful examination of loss

In her follow-up to The Light Between Oceans, the Western Australian author follows generations of a farming family as they weather calamity and change

The Two Roberts by Damian Barr audiobook review – love and lost dreams in bohemian London

This fictionalised account of the relationship between real-life artists Bobby MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun vividly depicts their romance and rise to fame – and the fall from grace that followed

Muskism by Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff review – how Elon Musk is reshaping the world

Henry Ford changed the face of industry forever – what kind of economic model do Musk’s methods presage?

Orwell: 2+2=5 review – documentary portrait doesn’t wholly add up

Raoul Peck’s film about the Nineteen Eighty-Four novelist makes a compelling case for its continuing relevance but could ask more searching questions about its author

Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh review – high-concept adultery fable

Unfaithful lovers escape to an uncanny alternate world, in this compelling allegory for infidelity and desire

Underland review – poetic exploration of life deep beneath the Earth’s surface

Sinkholes, storm drains, manmade labs miles underground … this documentary, based on Robert Macfarlane’s book, burrows deep into some of humanity’s great unknowns

Kurdish kitchens, baked bean alaska and Mexican soul: the best spring cookbooks for 2026 – review

These are the new titles for your kitchen shelf – plus a classic to dust off

Black Bag by Luke Kennard review – a campus comedy for our end times

Drawing on a real-life 1960s experiment, this story of an out-of-work actor paid to cover himself in a black leather bag fizzes with wit and invention

Enough Said by Alan Bennett review – a man for all seasons

Nostalgia, shame and gossip from Alan Bennett in the fourth instalment of his diaries

The News from Dublin by Colm Tóibín review – subtle short stories about being far from home

Grief, betrayal and moral complications are explored across nine tales of quiet power that take us from Argentina to County Wexford

Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor review – portrait of a working-class artist in New York

This novel is stacked with ideas about Black art and aesthetics – but its language is too clumsy and academic to bring them to life

We Know You Can Pay a Million by Anja Shortland review – the terrifying new world of ransomware

Criminals extorting money online have created huge businesses, complete with branding and HR

Under Milk Wood review – dark fairytales swirl around Dylan Thomas’s evergreen village

Director Kate Wasserberg emphasises the fantasy and supernatural elements of the poet’s ‘play for voices’ in an entertaining and inclusive production

Small Island review – Windrush epic speaks to our era with startling clarity

Featuring stellar performances across the cast, Matthew Xia’s production breathes new life into Andrea Levy’s sprawling family saga