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
Ai Weiwei: ‘It is so positive to be poor as a child. You understand how vulnerable our humanity can be’
From living in a dugout in Little Siberia to his friendship with Allen Ginsberg in New York, artist and activist Ai Weiwei reveals what drives his restless creativity
Franz Kafka drawings reveal ‘sunny’ side to bleak Bohemian novelist
Surreal drawings by author of The Trial – which he demanded be burnt after his death – to be published
Greek Myths: A New Retelling by Charlotte Higgins review – gloriously interwoven tales
The classical stories of eight weaving women are depicted on their looms’ warp and weft in this thoughtful, dazzlingly illustrated collection
‘Joyously subversive sex goddesses’: the artists who gave witches a spellbinding makeover
Thousands of women were slain after being accused of witchcraft. Don’t they deserve more than the evil cackling hag stereotype? A powerful new book blows away the satanic baby-eating myths
1,000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiwei review – a life of dissent
The artist’s memoir reveals a rebellious spirit, inherited from his persecuted poet father, which sustained him through detention by Chinese authorities
How our art critic ended up in the Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules – review
From Viz to the fourth plinth to David Bowie, the perennially upstart comic’s influence rampages on – and even our own Adrian Searle can’t get off scot-free
Succeeding Succession: books, games, music and more about the ultra rich
As Succession returns to our screens, Guardian critics offer artists’ varied takes on the seductive and corruptive nature of excessive riches
He’s a poet and the FBI know it: how John Giorno’s Dial-a-Poem alarmed the Feds
After receiving hundreds of thousands of calls, the poet’s project almost broke the New York telephone exchange – leading to an FBI investigation. Will it cause similar chaos in the Instapoet era?