Literature isn’t a luxury but a life-changer
Sharing literature with those who wouldn’t otherwise come into contact with it is a joy
Spy report that criticised Marlowe for ‘gay Christ’ claim is revealed online
British Library releases ‘Baines note’ in which playwright Christopher Marlowe scandalously suggests Christian communion should be smoked in a pipe
Authors condemn £4m library fund as a ‘sop’ and a ‘whitewash’
Patrick Gale, Mark Billingham and Francesca Simon among writers suggesting government scheme will do little to rescue sector that has been hit hard by cuts
Enfin! Female author in French school exams for first time since 1990s
Baccalauréat lists Madame de Lafayette’s La Princesse de Montpensier after protests about sexism in lycée system
The 100 best nonfiction books: No 59 – Culture and Anarchy by Matthew Arnold (1869)
Arnold caught the public mood with this high-minded but entertaining critique of Victorian society, posing questions about the art of civilised living that still perplex us today
Jean Fisher obituary
Other lives: Writer who was a champion of art as a radical practice
World Book Day 2017: teachers, send us pictures of your costumes
Which literary character are you dressing up as this year? Share your pictures and be part of a worldwide celebration of books and reading
Will business rates hike be final chapter for high street bookshops?
Booksellers group says rise will kill off independent stores and berates Treasury for cutting tax for sector’s biggest online rival Amazon
Education publisher Pearson reports biggest loss in its history
Pre-tax losses soar to £2.6bn as group – planning to sell its Penguin Random House stake – is hit by slump in US textbook sales
Ruth Levitt obituary
Other lives: Expert on NHS community health councils who also worked in public policy, politics and publishing
Alice in Westminster: The Political Life of Alice Bacon by Rachel Reeves – review
This biography of Labour’s champion of comprehensive schools reveals a woman who was loyal to her party and passionate about her constituents’ concerns
Monica Crowley accused of plagiarism as she joins Trump team
HarperCollins has cancelled sales of What the (Bleep) Just Happened by the incoming senior White House staffer, following accusations of extensive copying
The 100 best nonfiction books: No 49 – The American Language by HL Mencken (1919)
This declaration of linguistic independence by the renowned US journalist and commentator marked a crucial new chapter in American prose
Authors and teachers pick a children’s book for Christmas
Education Guardian’s Christmas gift ideas from teachers and authors, with Anne Fine, Holly Smale, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Michael Morpurgo and Julia Donaldson
School library book returned more than 120 years late – with no fine
Title given back to school in Hereford by granddaughter of ex-pupil Arthur Boycott, who became a distinguished pathologist