The bestselling author of Yellowface on prepping for Christopher Nolan films, a touring Mozart biopic and the swaggering young stars of Italian rockBorn in Guangzhou, China in 1996 and raised in Texas, author Rebecca F Kuang received an MPhil from Cambridge and an MSc from Oxford and is currently studying for a PhD in East Asian languages and liter

Barbara Walker, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim and Jesse Darling explain what’s gone into their nominated work – from a ‘dysfunctional’ steel rollercoaster to a dramatic fountain splashing water on to the venue floorThe Turner prize shortlist, as jury chair and Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson rightly points out, provides an annual “

The queen of Countdown’s dictionary corner on the power of positive language and finding joy in ‘mubble fubbles’ Perhaps the world’s most famous lexicographer, Susie Dent is certainly one of the most positive people on British TV. For 31 years the queen of dictionary corner on Channel 4’s Countdown, she puts just as much energy into her b

From Nero to Sunak, leaders have always put on a show for the public. The scholar explores the notorious Roman emperor’s fondness for acting and how the stage became a metaphor for power itselfPerformance has always been a part of politics. From a reality TV star in the White House to a man who likes nothing better than clowning on a zipwire, tha

Based on the real-life story of a peasant in revolutionary France, this hallucinatory tale is set to be one of the most remarkable novels of the yearAK Blakemore’s second novel is inspired by the real life story of Tarare, a...

Artificial intelligence — or something like it — has powered video games since players tried to outwit a computer-controlled paddle in Pong. Now, some in the industry are saying new generative AI programs could kickstart...

In this week’s newsletter: Sex and the City made me worry I lacked a clique – but new shows like Platonic and Only Murders in the Building choose to celebrate friendship in all its forms• Don’t get the Guide delivered...

Over a six-decade career the American artist has worked ‘twice as hard’ to bring her vivid, colourful figures to an audience. On the eve of her first major UK show, she talks race, representation and the human spirit that...

According to a new study by Pen America, there were 3,362 instances of book bans in school classrooms and libraries – with more than 40% of all cases occurring in FloridaBook bans in US public schools have increased by 33%...

Royal Court, LiverpoolJames Graham’s funny and violent TV adaptation belies a sensitive study of male mental health, as right-wing economics hits a group of road layers’ livesThe emotional high point of Alan Bleasdale’s...