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Jamie Smart’s Bunny vs Monkey: Total Chaos! was No 1 in the chart last week as the Top 10 was dominated by the charity’s discounted children’s reads ahead of annual event

The £30,000 award went to novel A Family Matter, about a lesbian affair and a custody battle

Sixteen novels are in contention for the £30,000 award, now in its 31st year, with settings ranging from climate-ravaged islands to a near-future Kolkata

British outlet for the Hogwarts-adjacent ‘interactive retail experience’ will include ‘photo moments’ and exclusive merchandise

Literacy experts say move comes over cost concerns and fears costumes can detract from reading for pleasure

Blockbuster adaptation of George RR Martin’s fantasy world will focus on events 300 years before the HBO series’ pilot

Publicly funded journal pulled poem citing writer’s ‘social media presence’, with solicitors alleging discrimination over gender-critical views

Award-winning science fiction and horror writer died in Colorado on 21 February with family at his side

The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, is widely regarded as one of the Democratic party’s leading contenders for the 2028 presidential election. He has also published a new book, Young Man in a Hurry, reflecting on his childhood and his path to the governor’s mansion.

This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Newsom about why he believes the Democrats suffered such heavy losses in 2024, why the party needs to be less judgmental, and whether he intends to run for president in 2028