Hay festival: We need more of poor old Milton
Dipping into Paradise Lost at school felt like purgatory. But listening to his biographer Anna Beer made me think again
The still-vital Vidal
Friend of the Kennedys, enemy of Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal is an extraordinary compendium of American politics and literature
Hay festival: The joys of discovering new authors
From exciting new talents to foreign writers unknown in Britain, there's plenty of excitement if you're prepared to step into the unknown
Hay festival: The show starts here
The Hay-on-Wye literary festival starts today. We'll be interviewing, blogging, filming and podcasting throughout ... so just tell us what you want to hear
Literary raconteurs deserve a platform
While we might have to whistle for another Wilde or Coward, writers should be given more chances to wow us with their wit
The Palestine literature festival was an enlightening experience – but not always for the right reasons
Ahdaf Soueif: The festival ran from May 7 to 11 and in every city our venues were filled to the rafters and our authors rode high on the enthusiasm of the audience
The not-so-hidden agenda of cultural exchange
Egyptians are being encouraged to read To Kill a Mockingbird? It takes me right back to the 'cultural congresses' of the cold war
Did I mention my movie?
As the film of his book screens in Cannes, journalist Toby Young gets a taste of fame - and likes it just a little too much ...
Tommy Lee Jones sets sail with Hemingway adaptation
Geoffrey Macnab: There was a comical moment when Tommy Lee Jones met distributors in Cannes to talk about his new project
Tartuffe
Roger McGough wrings maximum fun from Molière's timeless comedy, writes Lyn Gardner
Bestselling, Booker-winning … postcards?
Bid adieu to first editions. Original stories from JK Rowling, Doris Lessing and co are to grace some lucky kitchen pinboard
‘It’s always a terrible and crucial time with us … that’s Massive Attack’
The Bristol band's sound has helped define British pop for 20 years. Now, they are curating the South Bank's influential Meltdown festival. In an exclusive interview, Miranda Sawyer talks politics, camper vans, and their upcoming album
Have I got books for you
While books and TV shows are not natural bedfellows, a new internet broadcast makes a perfect match
My night in the new world of SF
Yes, there were people dressed as Star Wars characters, but the Arthur C Clarke award ceremony also delivered much to defy SF stereotypes
Whatever happened to book borrowers?
People seem to have forgotten how to take things out from the library and return them