The Latest Breaking News from Ian McEwan

IN FOCUS: William Golding’s 1954 novel is required reading in schools across the world, and its title has become shorthand for the breakdown of civilisation, writes Martin Chilton. As a new TV adaptation arrives, it’s a reminder of how the book contains many warnings we must heed today

Julian Barnes, author of 14 previous novels, ten volumes of nonfiction, and three collections of short stories under his own name, plus four crime novels under the pseudonym Dan Kavanagh, has announced that his new novel, Departure(s), will be his last. The narrator – who both is and is not…

The Guardian’s fiction editor picks the best of the year, from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dream Count to Thomas Pynchon’s return, David Szalay’s Booker winner and a remarkable collection of short stories

It’s tricky, buying books as presents, but here are 10 great choices from this year’s crop, with something for almost everyone — from the big beasts of contemporary fiction to engaging biography and compelling history.

The disgraced financier had an idea for an interview series called ‘Strange Bedfellows’, but none of the stars he fantasised about featuring seem to be aware of its existence

IN FOCUS: More than half of the UK’s published novelists agree that it’s likely artificial intelligence will displace their work entirely, prompting fears of a two-tier market in the literary world where only the rich can afford author-penned books. What on earth does that mean? asks Annabel Nugent

IN FULL

James Fox, Ben Pester, Rochelle Dowden-Lord and Claire Lynch are among the other nominees

Nominated writers include award-winning novelist Ian McEwan, art historian James Fox and best-selling authors Patrice Lawrence and Sarah Perry.