Timbuktu library – a treasure house of centuries of Malian history
Famous manuscripts mainly date back from 14th to 16th centuries when city was hub for trade and Islamic knowledge
Sir Douglas Mawson, the unsung hero of Antarctica, gets his due at last
A biography of Sir Douglas Mawson tells how he survived perils worthy of a Hollywood epic
Mali’s ancient treasures are too valuable to be buried again
Michael Mumisa: The ancient manuscripts of Timbuktu are a door into Africa's golden age. We must not let this crisis threaten their survival
Misogyny stinks, but we need to say more than ‘This is horrible, poor us’
Deborah Orr: Speaking out against misogynistic abuse is all well and good, but we need to get to the bottom of why it happens
Stephen King risks wrath of NRA by releasing pro-gun control essay
Bestselling author and gun owner says 'autos and semi-autos are weapons of mass destruction' in 25-page work for Kindle
The spiritualists, the offshore company and the case of the extra millions
Charity headquarters in Belgrave Square, London, were sold for £6m then immediately resold for £15m profit
The Mexican drug war: a photographer’s story
Photographer David Rochkind tells the story behind the powerful images from his book Heavy Hand Sunken Spirit, Mexico at War
Authors join tug-of-war at top German publishing house Suhrkamp Verlag
Home of Hesse, Brecht and others is being torn apart by a row over money and management
Richard Blanco’s inaugural poem for Obama is a valiant flop
Carol Rumens: 'One Today' has some fine lines, but writing good poetry for a grand national celebration is an impossible feat
American presidents in literature – quiz
On the day of president Obama's second inauguration, there are many important questions to ask. Chief among them, of course, is how much do you know about White House residents in literature?Cast your votes now
Australian library’s Lance Armstrong ‘fiction’ notice revealed as a hoax
Sign put up in Sydney library saying disgraced cyclist's books would be moved to fiction section was not officially sanctioned
Pow! by Mo Yan – review
Mo Yan's Pow! may not be politically engaged but it is a highly enjoyable, absurdist romp of a novel, writes Chris Cox
Meet the real Jane Austen, the prototype Guardian gal
Hannah Betts: 'Austen month' is a good time to ditch the wilful misogynist misreadings of the revolutionary novelist's life and work
Why can’t we read the Scientology book Going Clear in the UK?
Lawrence Wright's book Going Clear reveals the depths of the weirdness of L Ron Hubbard's sci-fi religion. Or so we are told
Emile Durkheim: religion – the very idea, part 6: do we need the sacred?
Gordon Lynch: How to believe: Modern societies are no longer tribes organised around a sacred vision but the sacred and the profane are still relevant