Tim Jeal obituary
Biographer who altered perceptions of Henry Morton Stanley, David Livingstone, Robert Baden-Powell and other figures active in Africa
The Floating World by Ben Eastham review – a compelling debut of art’s relation to money and power
Following the death of his wife, a critic-teacher takes a job with an art-washing multinational, in a cinematic novel that is full of ideas
The Book That Changed My Life review – these joyful tales of the power of reading are TV magic
Wonderful, exuberant stories spill out in these honest tales of lives genuinely transformed by literature – while Queen Camilla has an off-with-their-heads moment
Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza denies using AI to write prize-winning story
Article in Atlantic claims The Blue Fighter was artificially generated, days after it won Caine prize for African writers
Ply by Hernan Diaz review – Pulitzer winner’s dry vision of far-future America
There are shades of JG Ballard in this tale of survival in a decaying metropolis, but big ideas and lengthy exposition crowd out the human drama
Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus review – the zany follow-up to Lessons in Chemistry
This offbeat tale of machinations at an eccentric poetry magazine in 80s New York is laugh-out-loud funny – and a paean to the power of poetry
The Weight of Angels by John Boyne review – what if Oscar Wilde had lived?
The great Irish writer died, a broken man, at only 46. Imagining a second act for him is a great idea – but the results are sentimental and unconvincing
‘The crime fiction I’m interested in is political’: Ian Rankin on his new novel about the super-rich
The bestselling writer talks about leaving Edinburgh for London in his latest mystery, and what the future holds for Rebus
‘People forgot I existed’: Audrey Niffenegger on taking 14 years to write a sequel to The Time Traveler’s Wife
Her debut made her a global star. Now she has finally written a follow-up – and this time, it’s political. She talks about impostor syndrome, screen adaptations and becoming radicalised
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle; As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers; The Eye of Goliath by Diego Muzzio; Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm
AK Blakemore: ‘The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt was extremely silly and bad’
The poet and author on F Scott Fitzgerald’s perfect novel, losing faith in Ernest Hemingway – and the recent debut that blew her away
Anne Carson wins Nobel prize in literature 2026
Most prestigious literature prize goes to Canadian known for genre-crossing works such as Autobiography of Red
The Starving Bride by Catherine Chidgey review – a girl wastes away in a gothic near-future
The New Zealand author’s ninth novel is gorgeously written, but feels tame and almost quaint against the real world of GLP-1 drugs and looksmaxxing
Tents, night-vision goggles and bear tracking kits: America’s first nature library opens
As well as books, the new facility in Colorado offers equipment to help connect people with the natural world. We asked five of the first visitors what they thought of it
Other Worlds Than These by Stephen King and Peter Straub review – a self-indulgent finale to the Talisman trilogy
There are moments of shivering joy as the protagonist of two enduring classics, Jack Sawyer, returns – but this time his journey feels endlessly repetitive