Envy, ego, pride and pain: what I learned from publishing my first book
Years torturing yourself before a blank page are followed by months of scrambling for publicity, followed by oblivion
‘It’s like having an affair’: Blackadder, the Beatles, Gavin & Stacey … the chemistry of successful writing duos
The long-awaited return of Ruth Jones and James Corden’s hit BBC sitcom represents the latest in a long line of successful creative duos. An author who writes with her husband examines why partnerships work so well
Your Fault review – bizarre and wooden step-sibling romance
Sequel to unaccountably popular Amazon Prime hit finds the same oldsters still out to stop the forbidden young lovers necking in glamorous locations
You Can’t Please All: Memoirs 1980-2024 by Tariq Ali review – an exasperating entertainment
The leftwing intellectual may be a master of self-justification, but in this book he is clever, cultured and good company
Aspiring UK author shoots up bestseller lists after viral social media post
Vicky Ball expressed delight on X at selling two novels at an event – then catapulted up Amazon’s book charts
That Christmas review – seasonal Richard Curtis yarn is kid-friendly but short on ho-ho-hos
There’s a nice nod to Love Actually, but this tale of a seaside town hit by a blizzard may still leave you cold
Barbara Taylor Bradford obituary
Bestselling author who enjoyed overnight success with her debut novel A Woman of Substance
Stephen King leaves X, describing atmosphere as ‘too toxic’
Author denies Elon Musk kicked him off platform and says he is joining rival Threads
On my radar: Monty Don’s cultural highlights
The Gardeners’ World presenter on being a sucker for spy stories, pub nights in the early 70s, and having his prejudices challenged by a gigantic floral dog
Farewell Gary Indiana: underground hero who chronicled the fallacies of erotic life
The novelist, playwright and critic was a bête noire of the art world and searing critic of American values
Ed McLachlan obituary
Cartoonist whose work appeared in Punch, Private Eye, the Spectator and the Oldie in a 60-year career
Adrian Chiles: what I have learned from five years of oversharing
It is a privilege to be able to express random thoughts, and not one I take lightly. When my dad died, writing about the experience helped me to cope
Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter review – the ego has landed, just not on Mars
New York Times reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac paint a damning portrait of the billionaire who turned the social media platform into a smaller business and a larger cesspool
The Art of Uncertainty by David Spiegelhalter review – a search for sense in probability and chance
In this timely book, the distinguished statistician shows how simple arithmetic can impose order on the risks that are an integral part of life
Lost GK Chesterton essay about detective stories published for first time
Unpublished essay linked to author’s membership of ‘secret society of mystery writers’ to be printed in Strand Magazine