Which person has had the greatest impact on the course of the 21st century so far?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

My big Birmingham bookshop crawl: why booksellers are suddenly thriving

In 2009, two bookshops a week were closing in the UK and the days of physical books seemed numbered. Now, indie stores are booming. What explains the turnaround – and can it be sustained?

‘I’m horrified by it. I think it’s appalling’: Kit de Waal on the crisis of cuts facing the arts

The bestselling author is in no doubt who is to blame when it comes to the state of the arts. She talks about the importance of culture, her inclusive book festival and using her voice to help

Sue Dymoke obituary

Other lives: Teacher, academic and poet

Sarfraz Manzoor says he will use new role to make Luton ‘cool’

Greetings from Bury Park author announces initiatives to ‘bang drum’ for town as he is named chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire

Pamela Nottingham obituary

Other lives: Lacemaker and teacher who gained an international reputation through her books

The big idea: do we need to dismantle the literary canon?

The temptation to chuck out the old is strong, but can only be part of the answer

Children’s enjoyment of writing has fallen to ‘crisis point’, research finds

Only one in three UK children now enjoy writing in their free time – including text messages – with those on free school meals most likely to do so

I was overwhelmed by shame when I quit grad school. Now I’m a quitting guru

I thought that dropping out made me a failure, but it was the making of me as a journalist and writer, says Dr Julia Keller, the author of Quitting: A Life Strategy

Black Belfast girl threatened after telling of unease over Of Mice and Men

Police inform Angel Mhande’s family of threat after her call for novel to be dropped from GCSE course

Boys ‘mustn’t be afraid of female-led books’, says author Joanne Harris

Teaching must change to prevent violence against women, she said at Hay festival, also speaking on narratives of menopause

Raised by addicts, abused, neglected, broke: how Katriona O’Sullivan escaped her fate

Pregnant at 15, and soon to be homeless, O’Sullivan never expected to succeed – but became a leading academic. The author of Poor talks about everything that conspired to keep her down – and her ‘miraculous and rare’ ascent

‘Too greedy’: mass walkout at global science journal over ‘unethical’ fees

Entire board resigns over actions of academic publisher whose profit margins outstrip even Google and Amazon

Donald Hinds obituary

Writer, teacher and historian whose book Journey to an Illusion provided an insight into the lives of postwar Black immigrants

The Guardian view on US book bans: time to fight back

Editorial: Censorship is surging thanks to an organised rightwing minority targeting books on LGBTQ and Black characters and issues