Literature

23 hrs ago

Scheme founders Colin Wade and Laury Conn smiling for the camera in front of a bookshelf in the Mostly Books shop in Abingdon.

'We have helped 100 new authors get into book shops'

The 1in200 scheme is helping independent authors get their books displayed in local shops and cafes.

23 hrs ago

Kate Mosse stands at a lectern speaking at an event. She is wearing an orange jacket over a dark top and is standing beside two microphones mounted on the lectern. The lectern has a pale blue panel on the front. The background is black, with stage lighting illuminating the speaker and lectern.

Kate Mosse's new book is a 'love letter' to Sussex

Author Kate Mosse says Sussex in autumn is "like nowhere else" as her latest book is published.

23 hrs ago

2 days ago

Dozens of people in costume are in a field. A sign hanging above some visitors in the foreground includes the words The Four Farthing Games. Many large trees are in the background.

Costumes, games and music at hobbit festival

Modern clothing is not allowed, as Tolkien fans have the opportunity to dress as a hobbit.

2 days ago

Barbara wears an all pink outfit and smiles at the camera while stood in front of a white car (Credit: Getty Images)

The extraordinary story of author Barbara Cartland

Although Barbara Cartland sold around 750 million books, you'd struggle to find a copy in a bookshop today. Why has the UK's master of romantic fiction disappeared from memory?

2 days ago

4 days ago

Black and white image of Allan Ginsberg, reading sheets of paper with his other fist raised, sat alongside fellow Beat poets (Credit: Getty Images)

How 'obscene' poem Howl reshaped US free speech

Allan Ginsberg's graphic verse had a seismic effect on American society. When two people were put on trial for selling it, the judgement was a landmark moment in loosening censorship.

4 days ago

7 days ago

Three women browsing the shelves of a bookshop. They are all blonde with their backs to the camera, facing the shelves.

Social media inspiring new generation of bookworms

Whether it is viral novels or emerging subgenres, BookTok is influencing people's reading habits.

7 days ago

26 Aug 2026

Country singer Dolly Parton, wearing a rhinestone-encrusted white suit, and playing a bejewelled guitar, on stage.

Dolly Parton's gift of reading to 1,000 Manx kids

More than 1,000 Manx children still receive free books through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

26 Aug 2026

Dolly Parton, holding a microphone and stood in front of a giant book, is stood next to a giant sized book which says The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Impact of Dolly Parton's UK children's book scheme praised

A former Reading MP says he believes the town was the second place in the UK to receive the books.

26 Aug 2026

The book covers of John of John, Land, and Cool Machine (Credit: Macmillan/ Penguin Random House)

14 of the best books of 2026 so far

From a dizzyingly brilliant heist to a devastating tale of generational loss, here are the year's most acclaimed works of fiction so far.

26 Aug 2026