The arts Christmas gift guide 2022: Dolly Parton dog wigs, Strictly tea towels, Bauhaus teapots and much more

From 007 socks to the Dark Side of the Spoon cookbook, from David Shrigley’s foot to AC/DC Monopoly, here are 40 perfect present ideas for culture-lovers everywhere

Graham Coxon: ‘Music has always been there for me’

The Blur guitarist, 53, on his addictive personality, making music as you age and being a Britpop brat

Rodney Peppé obituary

Author, illustrator and maker of toys and automata whose work displayed a playful charm and gentle wit

The power of women: acclaimed Italian author Elena Ferrante on patriarchy and protest in Iran

The award-winning novelist talks to Shiva Akhavan Rad about the fight for equality in Iran

A writer’s colourful home has a story to tell

Bold shades and open spaces add lots of character to author Huma Qureshi’s 60s house

‘I found a few vintage coats which I grabbed, and ran’: inside the weird world of estate sales

Joan Didion’s estate sale, which ended on Wednesday, has become the most talked about auction event of the year. But what exactly happens at a sale, and are they taking off in the UK?

On the right tracks: meeting the man behind Thomas the Tank Engine in 1979

The Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry was a steam enthusiast and avid model railway man – but he could never have guessed his stories of a cheeky engine would go on to enrapture the world

‘I came second in everything’: Martin Kemp on Spandau Ballet, George Michael and stepping out of his brother’s shadow

The bass player publishes his third book this month, reflecting on life in one of the 80s biggest bands. He talks about recovering from two brain tumours, acting and why he would like to apologise to Tony Hadley

Elf and safety: is a shrine to Dobby ruining a Welsh beauty spot – and threatening local wildlife?

Harry Potter fans have been asked to stop leaving tributes to the house-elf on a beach in Pembrokeshire

Three things with Matt Agnew: ‘I wasn’t just a space nerd, I was a full-blown nerd’

In our weekly interview about objects, the former Bachelor suitor and science author tells us about nostalgic Nintendo, and his first (and only) music gig

‘I’m eternally fascinated’: confessions of a ghost writer

Storyteller, nosy neighbour, bad therapist… a friendly ghost must be all these things, says Alexandra Heminsley

To change our future, we should change how we teach history to children

We adults may not be able to unlearn the damaging stories we were told, but we can halt their march through the generations, says author Yuval Noah Harari

Crossword book club: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L Sayers

A classic whodunnit with a crosswordy code is our latest reading suggestion for those who relish puzzles

Full-steam ahead at 100: the Flying Scotsman set for centenary UK tour

The iconic green locomotive, which turns 100 next year, is about to leave the station for a fortnight of special trips – and celebrated by a new story book from Michael Morpurgo

‘We’ve brought each other a lot of happiness’: the Hairy Bikers on love, food, stardom and chemo

Best mates for 30 years, TV stars for 20, Si King and David Myers have become one of Britain’s favourite double acts. As Myers copes with cancer, their closeness has never meant more