3 h. ago Celebrating literature is good – but I’m running out of patience with celebrity book clubs | Emma Brockes

Sarah Jessica Parker swept all before her at the Booker prize ceremony, but is fame the best way to encourage reading?In these turbulent times, we take small joys where we can find them. And this week we’ll take this: the spectacle of various literary people at the Booker prize award ceremony jamming themselves into photos alongside Sarah Jessica Parker. The actor – if you missed the long piece about it in the New York Times, or the many social media posts promoting Parker’s involvement – served as a judge for the Booker this year, a process that required her to read 153 books, some of them on the New York subway while being followed by a film crew. “Oh let me try!!!!” Parker had posted to Booker organisers last year, and for reasons that became obvious this week, they did.I know what you are going to say; that anything short of full-throated support for Parker’s adorable engagement with books in general and the Booker prize in particular is just unacceptable snobbery. There is noth...

Culture

5 d. ago How James Corden's thirst for fame 'separated' him and Ruth Jones: Candid emails reveal how Gavin and Stacey creators 'broke

Candid conversations revealed in a new book show James Corden's decision to capitalise on his celebrity almost ruined his relationship with Gavin And Stacey co-creator Ruth Jones

Politics

5 d. ago After the success of Gavin and Stacey rocketed creators James Corden and Ruth Jones to fame, we FINALLY know what broke up the real Smithy and Nessa

Candid conversations revealed in a new book show James Corden's decision to capitalise on his celebrity almost ruined his relationship with Gavin And Stacey co-creator Ruth Jones

Events

8 d. ago London social club screen the Celebrity Traitors finale: How to watch on the big screen

The Celebrity Traitors is gearing up for its grand finale – and Londoners can even watch it on the big screen

Politics

2 w. ago Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden reunite as party goes 'off the rails'

Piers Morgan and his former Britain's Got Talent co-star Amanda Holden recently reunited in Hollywood as the broadcaster continued celebrating the release of his book, Woke Is Dead

Politics

2 w. ago Nigel Farage appears alongside grooming gang victim to declare Labour's sex abuse inquiry 'dead in the water' as he calls for MPs to set up their OWN commission

The Reform UK leader claimed the public were 'running out of patience' with the Government's promised inquiry, which is yet to get up and running.

Events

2 w. ago Nigel Farage appears alongside grooming gang victim to declare Labour's sex abuse inquiry 'dead in the water' as he calls for MPs set up their OWN commission

The Reform UK leader claimed the public were 'running out of patience' with the Government's promised inquiry, which is yet to get up and running.

Events

2 w. ago Author and gardener Arthur Parkinson on how to raise happy hens

Arthur Parkinson’s new book is a celebration of hens, with each chapter devoted to a different breed. The author talks to Cat Thomson about his obsession and the joy his flock brings.

Culture

2 w. ago The best Edinburgh restaurants are celebrated in glossy new coffee table book

The new read features 19 of the Capital’s finest establishments

Culture

3 w. ago Prince Andrew 'gagged' Virginia Giuffre for a year so the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations wouldn't be tarnished, book claims

Virginia Giuffre's book will heap more bad news on the disgraced royal, who was last night forced to relinquish his Dukedom to avoid inflicting further damage on the Royal Family .

Politics

3 w. ago ‘We don’t celebrate Black creativity enough’: why the Black British book festival is bigger than ever

Ahead of the BBBF this weekend, authors who’ll be in attendance explain the crisis in publishing of Black writing, and why coming together is the solutionOn Sunday morning, the Barbican’s vast concrete foyer will swap its usual quiet for a buzz of conversation and excitement, and a particular kind of cultural energy: Black British storytelling in all its multiplicity.Now in its fifth year, the Black British book festival (BBBF) has become Europe’s largest celebration of Black literature. What began as a small, intimate gathering has grown into a national institution attracting thousands of attendees and some of the biggest names in publishing. Continue reading...

Culture

4 w. ago Sarah Ferguson's habit left royal staff 'up in arms' before Queen 'intervened'

The Duchess of York is celebrating her 66th birthday today and a new book written by a former royal butler claims that a particular habit of hers once enraged royal staff members

Politics