Down but not out: film, theatre, art and more to help deal with failure
From Oscar Isaac’s underperforming folk singer to The Good Place, Guardian critics offer up bittersweet culture for when success eludes you
Etel Adnan obituary
Poet and artist who maintained her links to the Middle East throughout her life
NFT beats cheugy to be Collins Dictionary’s word of the year
The abbreviation of ‘non-fungible token’ tops a shortlist also including pingdemic, climate anxiety and metaverse
Neat enough for Pepys: Magdalene college Cambridge’s inventive new library
The famous diarist’s dedicated building, left to his Cambridge alma mater, could not be altered. So architect Níall McLaughlin created a magical solution
Magritte: A Life by Alex Danchev review – a man of mystery
This insightful biography of the surrealist painter contends that to his peers he was a hero and outsider who resisted symbolic readings of his art
Mowgli, Bagheera, Baloo: Rudyard Kipling’s own sketches of the Jungle Book cast revealed
Until recently, drawings made to help shape the characters could only be seen in the British Library. Now they will feature in a new edition
Planned Virginia Woolf statue challenged as insensitive
Memorial to novelist would be by Thames, which would evoke her suicide by drowning
No straight lines: Alison Bechdel and the unstoppable rise of queer comics
The artist discusses her role in an eye-opening new documentary that trails the history of LGBTQ+ comic books and the people behind them
Ennui will rock you: books, games and more for getting through burnout
From Death in Venice to virtual husbandry in Stardew Valley, Guardian critics suggest culture to help cope with exhaustion
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiwei – an assault on the censors
The memoirs of the artist branded a troublemaker by the Chinese regime are also a powerful tribute to his father
Show me the happy: art, theatre and music that celebrates Black joy
From lovers at Pride to side-splitting comedy to a rallying rap, our critics rejoice in a variety of joyful Black art
How Penguin’s Modern Classics dared us to judge a book by its cover
After 60 years of the series celebrating contemporary fiction, have the early jacket designs stood the test of time – and how do you create a cover fit for a classic?
Terence: The Man Who Invented Design by Stephen Bayley and Roger Mavity review – a life and times of the king of style
The contradictions in Terence Conran’s character shine through in this profile by a former protege whose book is a mixture of score-settling and affection
Jerry Pinkney obituary
Award-winning US illustrator whose prolific output of contemporary and traditional tales charmed readers of all ages
The Guardian view on habits: a pandemic of lost routines
Editorial: Never before have our daily routines been so comprehensively cancelled. But we need good habits and must rebuild them