Kamila Shamsie on the crisis in British politics: ‘What kind of democracy is this?’

Growing up in Pakistan, the novelist experienced the euphoria of free elections and the disillusionment when vested interests reasserted themselves. She reflects on the parallels with Westminster today

‘Temple of peace’: rare chance to visit William Gladstone’s study

Books and other belongings of 19th-century PM on show during festival at Hawarden estate in north Wales

How to Be a Politician by Vince Cable review – teachings of the former Lib Dem leader

This pragmatic political primer from the former Lib Dem leader favours head over heart – but can it speak to gen Z activists?

Vince Cable reveals he had a stroke when Liberal Democrat leader

Former business secretary reveals in memoir that he tried to keep health issues a secret and carry on working

Sadiq Khan to publish ‘practical guide’ to the climate emergency

Breathe, due out next year, will see the London mayor draw on his own experience with adult-onset asthma to address the crisis

On my radar: Vicky Featherstone’s cultural highlights

The Royal Court’s artistic director raves about a non-binary memoir, admires Gordon Brown’s stand on poverty and salutes Cornelia Parker’s proper mermaid

Writers and politicians condemn attack on Salman Rushdie

As author remains on a ventilator, messages of support champion free speech and talk of his ‘extraordinary resilience’

‘Boris was cartoon gold’: the UK’s top cartoonists on drawing Boris Johnson

Ten leading cartoonists revisit their most memorable sketch of the outgoing PM, and reveal what lies in store for his successor

British ‘idlers’: how a 2012 attack on UK’s work ethic could haunt Liz Truss

Tory leadership frontrunner says she did not write infamous passage in Britannia Unchained, but the book’s whole tone is now jarring

The Pyramid of Lies by Duncan Mavin review – the disgraced financier who charmed David Cameron

This meticulous study reveals the greed and gullibility of the ex-prime minister whose endorsement of Australian financier Lex Greensill tells us much about how politicians operate

Economics made simple: 10 experts on where the cost of living crisis came from, and where it’s heading

Rampant inflation, war in Ukraine, Brexit… we ask 10 experts to explain what the economic crisis means for Britain and how we should respond

Boris Johnson memoir could earn him ‘north of £1m’

Insiders say outgoing prime minister unlikely to write about personal life but book deal possible this autumn

Behind Closed Doors by Seth Alexander Thévoz review – entertaining study of London private members’ clubs

A history of the capital’s secretive sanctuaries offers an entertaining glimpse into an anachronistic world

It’s not true that everyone’s got a book in them: give writing back to the writers

The latest craze in celebrity publishing is to bring a ‘ghost’ in. Do it yourself or not at all

Tory contempt for the arts means we face a second dark age

Proposed cuts to English lit courses are symptomatic of the Conservatives’ ignorance of culture and disregard for ordinary people’s access to it