In brief: Between Britain; It Comes from the River; Golden State – review

The relationship between England and Scotland explored on foot; an unsettling novel of northern sisterhood and resilience; and a revelatory history of California

Colin Barrett: ‘My wife is astonished that I’m able to write’

The award-winning author on his move from short stories to novels, writing marginal characters in small-town Mayo and the Irish fiction he rates most

Tash Aw: ‘There’s something hyper-masculine about writing an epic’

As he embarks on a quartet of novels following one family, the Malaysian author talks about storytelling, family silences – and the legacy of colonialism

‘I want to be hopeful’: Nobel prize-winning novelist Han Kang on the crisis in South Korea

With protests on the streets of Seoul, the celebrated writer talks about the painful process of uncovering her country’s brutal past - and how it felt to win the Nobel prize

Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte review – ‘like being inside the internet’

A questionable male feminist, a closet sadist and a disaffected Twitter addict populate this acerbic story collection that captures the spirit of our doomscrolling age

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney audiobook review – modern love and loss

The stark differences between two brothers are thrown into relief as they navigate grief in this moving novel from the Normal People author

Niall Williams: ‘When I first read Chekhov, I thought: “He’s not so great”’

The Irish author on Enid Blyton at bedtimes, discovering Dickens, and the brilliance of Edna O’Brien

You Must Remember This by Sean Wilson review – a beautiful, terrifying portrait of dementia

This short novel is a valuable, eye-opening account of dementia, blurring the lines between one woman’s past and present

The Lamb by Lucy Rose review – cannibalism comes to Cumbria

A mother and daughter live in isolation in this dark fairytale about family secrets and the passage of adolescence

The City Changes Its Face by Eimear McBride review – brilliantly rule-breaking fiction

The couple from The Lesser Bohemians return in this innovative tale of two lovers and of London, in all its sadness and grunginess and grandeur

Greatest of All Time by Alex Allison review – desire on the football pitch

The story of a secret relationship between two Premier League teammates explores power and homophobia

Deviants by Santanu Bhattacharya review – gay life in India

An epic tale of love across three generations explores changing attitudes towards sexuality in India

‘Am I a Cyclopian monster?’ How masked writer Uketsu went from asparagus videos to literary sensation

He gained fame in Japan posting surreal videos of meat, veg and even ears. Then he tried writing – and soon had three bestsellers in the Top 10. As one now reaches the English-speaking world, we meet the faceless phenomenon

Dealing With the Dead by Alain Mabanckou review – surreal murder mystery in Congo-Brazzaville

A picaresque tale blends ghosts and ghouls with political satire and a scathing attack on corruption

In brief: Missing Persons; Compendium of the Occult; Under the Eye of the Big Bird – review

A very personal view of an Irish scandal; a comprehensive survey of mystical beliefs; and a dystopian sci-fi novel where humanity is on the brink