The Newer World by Sebastian Barry review – a near-miracle of storytelling

The third in a loose American trilogy follows the epic journey of a formerly enslaved man in the aftermath of the civil war

Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson review – quirky postwar nostalgia from the Life After Life author

There are glimpses of Atkinson’s subtle brilliance in this gentle noirish mystery set around the Festival of Britain

‘I’m amazed a human being could do so much’: Gloria Steinem celebrated by Margaret Atwood, Dua Lipa, Lynda Carter and more

Authors, activists and admirers pay tribute to the feminist icon who died this week at the age of 92

Kevin Powers: ‘I was ready to abandon Infinite Jest a thousand times’

The American author on falling in love with The Great Gatsby, being inspired by Dylan Thomas – and the memoir of a canoe trip in Texas he comes back to

The Golden Hours by Louisa Young review – this continuation of the Cazalet Chronicles is a total delight

Elizabeth Jane Howard’s niece has picked up the thread of her much-loved family saga series, taking the story into the 1960s

People With Money by Jess Ho review – race, class and gender collide in this outlandish but overcooked satire

In their debut novel following their memoir Raised by Wolves, Ho’s signature sarcasm is present throughout but some characters border on caricature

The Bridge by Colm Tóibín review – betrayal and survival in the High Pyrenees

Deep sorrow mingles with illicit desire in this potent novella, the follow-up to a 2006 story about an isolated family in the Catalan mountains

Best Australian books out in September: a Big Little Lies sequel, Keating’s vision and ‘superagers’

Each month Guardian Australia editors and critics pick the upcoming titles they have devoured – or can’t wait to get their hands on

Under Story by Chloe Benjamin review – this time-reversal melodrama is quantum hokum

A grieving couple who have lost their son find a way to a mirror universe where time runs backwards – but the narrative machinery is shonky and distracting

Gen Z ‘Chinamaxxers’ fantasise about life in China. This journalist and this artist can never go back there

A graphic novel by Melissa Chan and Badiucao imagines China and the US at war in 2035. They hope to remind young people that ‘authoritarianism everywhere is bad’

Switzy by Emma Cline review – this Booker-listed account of a man’s last days is profoundly moving

Struggling with Alzheimer’s, the central character sets out on his final journey to a euthanasia clinic

Malcolm Knox: ‘Trump’s name will turn to dust, just as every other dictator’s name has’

It may sound strange: satirical novels set in Stalin’s Soviet empire, by an Australian journalist, about Trump’s America. But Knox’s darkly hilarious books have arrived when global politics so often feel like a farce

‘Who would dare take on Elizabeth Jane Howard’s fans?’ Louisa Young on reviving the Cazalet Chronicles

The author’s new trilogy continues her aunt’s beloved family saga. What would happen next to the sprawling cast of characters ... and could she pull it off?

How to make a bestseller: insiders reveal the tricks of the book trade

From cover design to shelf placement and influencer partnerships … how publishers will persuade you to buy their books this autumn

Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason review – a tale of literary obsession, with cameos from real-life authors

A heartbroken woman becomes fixated on a famous writer in this witty, touching follow-up to Sorrow and Bliss