After a furiously productive decade. in which she wrote all six of her ‘epoch-defining’ novels, Austen died in shabby lodgings — which are now open to the public

Cherie Blair joined actors and agents in London to pay tribute to the bestselling author of A Woman of Substance, who died last year

The author of Shy Creatures recommends her favourite books, from an epic cowboy adventure to a witty novel about an ophthalmic surgeon

A new survey shows that only a third of 8-18 year olds read for pleasure — and the drop-off is highest among boys. Our chief literary critic shares her top picks for reluctant bookworms

Wendy Erskine’s The Benefactors moves beyond the Troubles and shows that money has become the city’s new dividing line — it’s ripe for TV adaptation

The secret-service agent turned novelist died on June 9— our thriller expert lists his favourite novels, from Day of the Jackal to The Fourth Protocol

A critic’s reputation is battered and troublesome wedding guests are grounded by a storm in this month’s reviews

John le Carré mocked his accent but the bestselling writer, who has died aged 86, had integrity

Tributes paid to ‘one of the world’s great thriller writers’ as the author of The Day of the Jackal dies after a brief illness

This is a modern woman saying what she thinks about a 75-year-old book. And I think it’s fair enough