The truth about the world's most violent conflict zones isn't black or white, scary or idyllic, corrupt or democratic. Yet our media tries to make it so.

Polymathic arts writer Kevin Jackson, in Bath to introduce his book Constellation of Genius about the literary annus mirabilis of 1922, ran up against the feminist lobby.

How do you quantify "reasonable doubt"? And how much doubt is enough to stop you sending a fellow human to prison or execution? There were weird scenes in Bath's historic Guildhall when the maverick human rights lawyer Clive Stafford-Smith, asking these questions, turned the banqueting hall into a court of law and the audience into a quaking jury.

Two heavyweight speakers gave passionate talks on two titans of 19th-century poetry at The Independent Bath Literature Festival – focusing on their preoccupation with death.

Why do politicians "scuttle sideways like a startled crab" whenever the legalisation of drugs is mentioned? Three experts on the drugs trade trained their headlights on the crab today.

Jarvis Cocker might seem an unlikely contender to headline a literature festival, but it seems the former Pulp frontman really does have a thirst for knowledge.

Justin Bieber’s fans may complain about a two-hour wait, but it was a different story for those in line to see Stephenie Meyer, the author of the bestselling Twilight novels.  

Novelist Julian Barnes has opened up about the pitfalls involved in writing about sex.

Familiar books help children retain new words, study says

The Arts Diary

The Cloud Atlas author David Mitchell and his wife have co-translated an acclaimed book, written by a Japanese child, about his experience of growing up with autism.

Want to write the next bestseller, but don’t want to have to actually come up with a book that everyone wants to buy? Then help is at hand.

He's the $10bn man: comic-book writer Stan Lee's superhero creations have created some of the world's biggest box-office takings. Now, for the first time, his creations in their original form are to be sold as fine art.

Every performer needs a trademark. Harry Hill has three: there's the big white collar and the thick-rimmed black specs. But, more than anything else, there's his bald head. Now, under his one-off editorship of one of the world's most famous weekly comics, characters are about to lose their hair – and so are some of Britain's best-known names.

A German novelist has brought the Führer back to life