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Books

'I'm annoyed I'd never heard of Elizabeth Gaskell'

Works from writers-in-residence inspired by the Victorian novelist are published in a new book. See more

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A woman with long brown hair, wore in a side parting. She is stood outside in a garden and wearing a blue knitted top.

All you need to know about Wolverhampton Literary Festival

Plan out which events you will attend during the city's three-day literature festival next weekend.

A composite image of Joanna Lumley, Queen Camilla and David Tennant at the memorial service of the late author Jilly Cooper.

Dame Joanna Lumley and Queen Camilla among guests at memorial for author Jilly Cooper

Royalty and acting stars were at the London service to pay their tributes to the writer.

A crowd of seated people watching three musicians perform on stage. There are two balconies either side of the photo leading to the front, with fairy lights strung between them

Cheltenham Festivals looks to widen participation

The four festivals have announced plans to widen participation in future years.

A close-up of a man with dark grey hair looking into the camera. He wears a dark-green jacket and is in front of a dark background.

Crime novelist wins Diamond Dagger award

Mark Billingham, who was born in Birmingham, says he is thrilled and honoured.

A blonde woman standing outside a large castle with a blue, pink and purple sky. She is wearing a green coat with large buttons

Traitors crime writer in literary festival line-up

The festival is set to coincide with International Women's Day and will also feature local authors.

A woman with short curly hair stands on stage, seemingly presenting. She is wearing a light blue dress and black glasses with thick frames. The background behind her is a bright yellow projection.

Author donates 30,000 books to UK schools

The author, Tolá Okogwu, also donates books to refugee camps across Africa and Asia.

Reviews

The book covers of Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah, Dream State by Eric Puchner and We Do Not Part by Han Kang (Credit: Bloomsbury, Knopf, Penguin Random House)

The 25 best books of 2025

From a "richly atmospheric" novella to a "virtuosic" debut – this is the very best fiction of the year, as chosen by BBC journalists. See more

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John Grisham on why he still writes as trends shift

The bestselling author on what new data reveals about America’s steep decline in reading for pleasure. Books

Why Cher has waited until now to write her memoir

Cher explains why she has finally written her memoir and who it's for. Books

Striking images of women in the Black Panther Party

Stephen Shames' photography offers a radically new and candid picture of the militant black power organisation. Books

Braille: What is it like to read without sight?

What happens to our brains when we learn to read Braille? Books

Inside the abandoned city of ancient libraries

The African town of Chinguetti is home to a large collection of forgotten ancient books. Books

How paper is making a comeback

As the world goes digital, paper might seem increasingly obsolete – but it is anything but. Books

Preserving the ancient art of handcrafting books

In the digital age, the beautiful and ancient art of hand-binding books is under threat. Books

Elizabeth Day: 'I felt so understood in the pages'

When Elizabeth Day had a miscarriage, it was the words in a book from 1936 that helped her through it. Books

How reading can help us cope with death

Lisa Appignanesi describes how reading fiction helped her deal with bereavement. Books

Michael Rosen: 'How poetry helped me to grieve'

When author Michael Rosen lost his son, he found inspiration to write again in a poem by Raymond Carver. Books

The fiction that helped Laura Freeman recover from anorexia

How a love of reading helped one woman recover from anorexia. Books

Is this Italy’s smallest library?

One retired teacher is spreading the joy of books using his tiny mobile library. Books

The man who lives in a library with no rules

Nanie Guanlao turned his home into a library for his community in Manila. Books

The ancient library where the books are under lock and key

Step inside the world’s largest surviving chained library. Books

Biblioburro: The amazing donkey libraries of Colombia

One man and his loyal donkeys spreading the joy of books in Colombia. Books

More Books

3 days ago

A young black man wearing a green hoodie and headphones looks directly into the camera as he stands on an underground platform. Behind him is a red and white tube with doors open showing folded seats and yellow handrails.

Celebrating 40 years of poetry on the Underground

We invited Londoners to put their own words to the city to celebrate 40 years of Tube poems. 3 days ago 5 days ago

Len Pennie, a woman with long red hair, speaking into a microphone in a recording studio while holding a book in front of her. String players are visible in the background. Paul Leonard-Morgan is sitting at a grand piano behind her. He has blond hair and is wearing a T-shirt.

'He's Tigger and I'm Eeyore' - Poet Len Pennie on an unlikely team-up

Len Pennie and the film composer Paul Leonard-Morgan have collaborated on a new album called Delusions. 5 days ago 5 days ago

A woman in a multi coloured striped top smiles. She has dark grey / brown hair and sits in a grey chair. Behind her is a wooden panel.

Cancer patients inspire new work by Poet Laureate

The poem was commissioned by Yorkshire Cancer Research to mark its centenary year. 5 days ago 24 Jan 2026

Nathan Rodney-Jones is in a blue or green shirt, and wearing a navy coat over the top. He has a typewriter on a table. He has curly brown hair. There are market stalls behind him. There are some blue skies above, but also white cloud.

The street poet bringing people tears of joy

Nathan Rodney-Jones uses a vintage typewriter to craft bespoke verses on the street. 24 Jan 2026 23 Jan 2026

Colour illustration of witches and warlocks dancing in a ruined church (Credit: Getty Images)

Why this Robert Burns poem is a 'masterpiece'

On Burns Night this week – and 235 years after Tam O'Shanter was published – Scots everywhere may well be treated to a masterwork with a unique appeal. 23 Jan 2026 22 Jan 2026

Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydon writes debut children's book

Welsh actor and comedian Rob Brydon's first children's book is inspired by his own family pet. 22 Jan 2026 20 Jan 2026

Could visiting book lovers boost our towns' high streets?

BBC Scotland speaks to people involved in the book community in south west Scotland. 20 Jan 2026 20 Jan 2026

A reading room. There is a large brown book shelf with copious amounts of books on it.
There are also desks with chairs in front of the book shelf.
The floor has blue carpet and the walls are a light blue colour.

Grade II library to digitise rare book collections

The library is home to several rare manuscripts, botanical illustrations and unique books. 20 Jan 2026 18 Jan 2026

Grace Murray, standing in a room, looking straight at the camera, with long blonde hair and a nose ring on her left side. She is smiling. The building has a door to the right and red bricks. She is wearing a black top.

'Having my debut novel published at 22 is insane'

Grace Murray says she feels "lucky and grateful" to have taken part in the WriteNow scheme. 18 Jan 2026 ...

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