Novelist
What’s behind that enigmatic smile?
The author of a new novel about the Mona Lisa explores the history of the world’s most famous painting
Belfast’s best-kept secret
John Self welcomes the reissue of three works by Brian Moore, one of Northern Ireland few novelists who can stand toe-to-toe with the contemporary greats
The end of the road
Nick Cohen has adopted a new workout: wrestling with a novel
Bunty Malone
Best-selling novelist
American Tolstoy
Time to proclaim the greatness of Herman Wouk, once feted for the sweep of his historical novels
The Queen’s Jubilee Book List: why did they bother?
The choices show a lack of levity, imagination and courage
I spread disinformation, and I’m very sorry
In which our brave author is found guilty of trying to be funny online
What lies ahead for the Australian election?
Labor’s Anthony Albanese might have a chance
Should we take Kingsley Amis more seriously as a poet?
The acclaimed novelist harboured dreams of writing verse
A very modern monarch
Rakib’s Britain: The Queen has been a powerful force for unity in a rapidly changing and multicultural Britain
Dinner in the Bloodlands
Belarus Free Theatre brings moral complexity to the table
Lord of the Flies (but not the zippers)
Tribal warfare suits the chieftain of Tory island
The wrong kind of victim
Today’s victimhood narratives don’t make space for the most vulnerable
Bookshops remaindered
The second-hand book trade has lost much of its romance and charm, not to mention eccentric establishments and their owners
Supporting multiculturalism is the natural conservative position
Attacking it attacks the very essence of Britishness
Sectarian cinema?
It may not be easy, but multicultural societies must embrace liberal values if they are to survive