Indian writer wins record $1m advance for epic trilogy
Amish Tripathi, whose advance is thought to be largest paid by Indian publisher, taps into resurgence of interest in Hindu myths
The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Other Stories of Africa by Rian Malan – review
Rian Malan's tales of post-apartheid South Africa create a grimly realistic picture of a nation clinging desperately to hope, writes Tim Adams
Final Hobbit film pushed back to December 2014
Third instalment in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's novel moved to align with release strategy for Lord of the Rings
Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe set for starring roles in two classic tales
Former Hogwarts alumni in line for two new films: Watson for Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella and Radcliffe for Frankenstein
Beauty and Beast: the book Dominique Strauss-Kahn wanted to ban
The disgraced French politician tried to have the publication by his former lover Marcela Iacub, in which he is described as a 'poet of filth', suppressed. He failed
What’s the difference between an angel and a fairy?
Readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific concepts
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, disgraced ex-IMF chief, seeks to block memoir
Strauss-Kahn, who resigned from IMF after his arrest for sexual assault in New York, asks French court to ban kiss-and-tell book
The novelty value of Publishers Weekly’s novel list
Emma Brockes: This compilation of 100 years of No 1 bestsellers is oddly melancholy. Who knew literary immortality was so transient?
Lucretius, part 7: becoming a god
Emma Woolerton: Lucretius's Epicurean philosophy doesn't deny gods' existence, only that they affect us. Instead, we must aim to be as them
Tuning up for the Adelaide festival – the Edinburgh of Australia
David Sefton, Adelaide's new artistic director, was hired to overhaul its programming. And he started by reuniting one of his favourite bands: industrial stalwarts Severed Heads. Interview by Alison Rourke
Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw – review
Tash Aw's tale of five migrant workers carving out lives in a modernising Shanghai is the stuff of a hit TV miniseries, says Adam Mars-Jones
Landscapes of the Metropolis of Death by Otto Dov Kulka – review
Otto Dov Kulka's Auschwitz chronicle succeeds in its civilised mission to bear witness, writes Ian Thomson
Half-man, half-pig: how the beastly DSK was ‘an artist of the sewers’
Agnès Poirier: Critics call Marcela Iacub's book on her affair a true objet d'art. France likes to justify moral transgressions in the name of art
Cities Without Ground: a guidebook to Hong Kong’s elevated walkways
In Hong Kong, your feet need never touch the ground. But a new book can help you navigate the high-rise web of bridges, tunnels and lobbies that make up the city's fabric