The historian unearths a rich trove of artefacts and records to tell the tale of the ordinary lives of Vikings
From Joyce to 21st-century feminism to a new on-screen reimagining: why this millennia-old poem and its complicated hero continue to inspire
The moral philosopher’s account of the short brutal life of factory-farmed fowl is more just than a vegan polemic
Alejandro Zambra explores the ups and downs of fatherhood in this collection of essays, poems and stories
Our favourite literary duo Fred Studemann and Laura Battle join us for one last big books of the year audio round-up
Two books, by Will Eaves and Simon Critchley, explore how we can broaden our minds through religion, mysticism or music
Fredric Jameson’s enthralling survey emphasises context and considers the impact of European ideas on the US culture wars of today
David Safier’s new crime series grants the former German chancellor a lively post-leadership twilight as a super sleuth
Author of FT and Schroders prizewinning ‘Supremacy’ stresses importance of oversight of new technology
Eva Menasse’s sprawling bestseller, set in the run-up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, confronts a nation with its murky past
These cynical domestic horror stories by the Guinness heiress seem to speak to a contemporary mindset
A selection of some of the best titles shedding light on the conflict and its place in the wider power struggles across the Middle East
‘Supremacy’ charts the genesis of artificial intelligence trailblazers and rivalry between founders
Compiled over more than a decade, the Nobel winner’s notebooks combine memoir with his own colourful paintings
AI could instantly open up a huge range of books in different languages — but fiction really does require that human touch
Most politicians are fundamentally unsuited to the painful and exposing reckoning that is required
A Netflix adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s classic novel promises grit as well as transcendence
Seven decades on, Wright Thompson casts new light on the brutal night that sparked the civil rights movement
Simon Parkin tells the story of heroic botanists who put the safety of their seed bank ahead of their own during the Nazis’ siege
A mother-and-son road trip is propelled by guilt and unease in Christian Kracht’s hilariously unsettling novel
The American journalist’s fiction debut is a difficult, beautiful tale of coming of age at a 1960s New England boarding school
More than 180 authors and publishers warn that writers of colours are under-represented in school curriculum
Jonathan Watts nimbly dissects the brilliance and flaws of the father of Gaia theory
Discover horticultural treasures hidden behind Venetian walls or amid snow in the Arctic Circle — and step inside the private worlds of titans of art, architecture and design
From intergalactic sci-fi to 1970s California, Clark’s unnerving and surreal short stories traverse time, place and genre
