Rachel Cusk, Raven Leilani and Hari Kunzru are among writers inspired by artists to find shape and form in their own works

From Covid misinformation to the JFK assassination, these compelling reads explore how conspiracies seduce believers

Tackling social issues with often grisly violence, you’ll need a strong stomach for these stories by authors from Han Kang to Stephen King, but they make an indelible impact

Whether it’s a jazz age loner looking for love or a boyband star dating an older, wiser woman, fame and its many trapdoors are here for all to see

Love triangles have a special ability to captivate readers, whether set in ancient history, 1960s Japan or a sci-fi future. Here are five of the best

From families thrown into disaster to political satire and banned poetry, these books offer unique insights into the country’s first 100 years

From classic 350-year-old problems to more modern mysteries such as algorithms, AI and why buses come in threes, these books do the sums and show their workings

From sizzling muckraking and celebrity gossip to why asparagus should be sexy – these books sneak a peak behind the glitz and glamour of the rag trade

The author of Going Home, an acclaimed novel about the effects of unexpected fatherhood on a thirtysomething man, shares his favourites

From celebrity-clogged Italian villages to a Yorkshire Dales veterinary classic and an arty Manhattan affair, these books offer a dose of joy

Sex workers, private investigators and women unlucky in love are some of the characters that drive these vivid urban portraits

The greatest examples of the late writer’s uncanny ability to capture the many complexities of life range from stories of sex to loneliness

Generations have now grown up with games, but they have long been linked to science fiction and are now the subject of histories, too. Here are five of the best

From a pioneering 1940s ‘gastrography’ to a recent novel about a real-life 18th-century French peasant cursed with an appetite to eat just about everything

From James Baldwin to Sarah Waters, writers have been telling rich, nuanced LGBTQ+ tales for decades – here are some good titles to try

From a poetic memoir of social repression to a study of the lasting impact of the Cultural Revolution – these titles are a good place to start if you want to know more about the country and its people

Our brothers and sisters can be our best friends, our enemies, and everything in between. These stories explore the unique bonds we have with them

These electrifying novels that dig into the peculiar, dark depths of the human psyche will have you questioning who to trust

From online courtroom to information manipulation, social media has radically changed communication. Here are five books to help navigate it