Everyone needs books, particularly the newly gay. Books make us feel less alone, and there is nothing more strengthening than reflections of our own complicated [...]

I grew up in a small, tight-knit community of mixed race people on the edge of the British empire. The population of what was then called Swaziland (now Eswatini) was divided into white Europeans, black “native” Swazis and those who fell into the awkward space [...]

So what have we learned about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from watching Spider-Man: Far From Home? For a start, it is clear that the studio isn’t keen to allow all of Tony Stark’s fascinating tech to die along with Iron Man. There are more cool Stark gadgets in this movie – from a new AI [...]

Pickaxes, dynamite, anti-aircraft guns – the Taliban had tried everything to destroy the Bamiyan Buddhas, which had towered for 15 centuries in a pair of niches cut into the mountains in northern Afghanistan. But, after days of assaults, the majestic statues still wouldn’t budge. “This work of destruction is not [...]

It was supposed to go the way things do in the movies. Nora would tell her best friend that she loved him, he would feel the same way and then they would kiss – preferably in the rain. So when the 30-year-old arts manager declared her love for her best friend when they were still teenagers, she expected a happy [...]

This is the first of Tayari Jones’s four novels to appear in the UK and her publisher’s confidence has been rewarded; earlier this month, An American Marriage won the Women’s prize for fiction, all but guaranteeing Jones a new readership. And one appreciates why the jury picked it from a strong shortlist that [...]

Orchestras, opera companies, concert halls and record labels are being urged to join a campaign for gender parity in the music [...]

Adam Sandler’s latest film in his eight-movie deal with Netflix has broken the streaming giant’s record for opening weekend [...]

“Tell all the truth but tell it slant,” wrote Emily Dickinson. One way to get an oblique angle on today’s truth is to frame it with a narrative borrowed from ancient history, from folklore or [...]

‘It has lost its spark’ We’ve seen all of series two (in Australia) and I’m very sorry to say that it is indeed every bit as poor as is alleged. We were gripped by the first series – couldn’t wait for it each week (we’re old-fashioned that way) – but halfway through series two we became bored [...]