Literature
An incredible inventory
James Stevens Curl reveals how this new release provides amazing insight into the household of a well-heeled, cultured European in late eighteenth-century India
What do literary prizes tell us about publishing in 2021?
The implications of identity politics on literary trends
London, Burning: ‘A page-turning delight’
For his eighth novel, Anthony Quinn continues his noble tradition of producing a thumping good read
Murders for April
From the golden age of crime fiction to the modern day, Jeremy Black recommends seven books to see you through April
Why are great writers such awful people?
In the wake of renewed controversy over Philip Roth’s treatment of women, Nigel Jones asks whether there is a link between creative genius and sexual unorthodoxy
You can’t make it up
Lisa Hilton asks whether Twitter mobs should be able to police the imagination of novelists and playwrights
Arthur Bryant’s floating doters
W. Sydney Robinson, the historian’s latest biographer, discovered that his subject was without scruple in matters of the heart
The ring master
Bullfighting was a lifelong fascination for Francis Bacon and played an increasingly important role in his work, his high-risk approach matching that of the matador
Sporting life
This biography on Sir Stanley Rous and sport in the twentieth century is scholarly, balanced and well-written, says Lincoln Allison
Which political diaries are worth taking seriously?
Professor Jeremy Black discusses with Graham Stewart the craft and value of the political diarist