Apology after Benjamin Zephaniah mural painted over in Birmingham
Council contractor says sorry amid anger at removal of artwork of poet from an underpass in Hockley area
The best recent poetry – review roundup
A Year of Last Things by Michael Ondaatje; The Silence by Gillian Clarke; Joy in Service on Rue Tagore by Paul Muldoon; May Day by Jackie Kay; I Cannot Be Good Until You Say It by Sanah Ahsan; Grief’s Alphabet by Carrie Etter
Surge of interest in Ethiopian culture boosts case for return of treasures, says Sissay
Poet who is curating country’s first Venice Biennale pavilion says ‘part of the heart’ of the country was looted and is being held in museums
Eight writers win ‘freedom and time to write’ with $175,000 Windham-Campbell prizes
Honours that span fiction, nonfiction, drama and poetry go to practitioners around the world including novelist Deirdre Madden and poet Jen Hadfield
Poem of the week: The Haunted Oak by Paul Laurence Dunbar
A horrifying story of racial violence told from the point of view of an oak tree bough is all the more disturbing for its imitation of the ballad form
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar review – an antihero in search of meaning
The Iranian-American poet’s debut novel tells the tale of a bereaved writer – but struggles with too much angst
Byron: A Life in Ten Letters review – dispatches from a lusty life
Andrew Stauffer conveys the vigour and pace of the poet’s escapades with brio, but stumbles when he suggests Byron anticipated modern celebrity
Poem inspired by New York mugging wins top prize in National Poetry Competition
Imogen Wade’s The Time I Was Mugged in New York City impresses judges for ‘lyricism in the account of an abduction’
Poem of the week: The saddest noise, the sweetest noise by Emily Dickinson
This evocation of springtime quickly takes on a darker tone and stands among the author’s unforgettable works
Simon Armitage releases spring-themed poetry collection celebrating blossom
Poet laureate produces 10 poems, haiku and a musical EP, working with National Trust as it renews its blossom campaign
Caleb Azumah Nelson and Mary Jean Chan shortlisted for Dylan Thomas prize
The six-strong list of titles include novels, short stories and poetry, with the winning writer to receive £20,000 when revealed in May
Poem of the week: To Robert Browning by Walter Savage Landor
A warm and generous-minded tribute from an older poet to the ‘brighter plumage, stronger wing’ of his younger colleague
Whether voice of a generation or queen of cringe, Rupi Kaur was a gateway to the world of poetry
If poetry is to be a necessity for life rather than a luxury, then it should be accessible – and the bestselling Instagram poet has allowed many to see their feelings reflected in textual form for the first time
Poet Liz Berry’s The Home Child wins Writers’ prize book of the year
Anne Enright triumphs in fiction category for The Wren, The Wren and Observer art critic Laura Cumming wins non-fiction with Thunderclap: A Memoir of Life and Art and Sudden Death
A Year of Last Things by Michael Ondaatje review – a connoisseur of atmospheres
The author of The English Patient returns to poetry with a valedictory collection that is at home with the unknown and the romance of the incomplete