Rebecca Watson is the FT's assistant arts editor and the author of little scratch and I Will Crash.
Humans are stubbornly resistant to change, but think small and you might succeed
From the Ozempic story to books on power, money and the new world order — plus fiction by Julian Barnes, Amitav Ghosh and others — here are some top titles to look out for in the new year
Beethoven through new eyes, a jazz saxophonist with a rock bent, restless Rosalía and more
Festive gatherings provide the perfect opportunity to study — and game — group dynamics
The phrase is permission not to think too closely
The publicity circus around new film and TV releases leaves me hungry for old-fashioned opacity
Written in response to a triptych by Barbara Probst, for FT Magazine’s photography special
It is endlessly subjective, unexpected, malleable — yet we pretend that it follows a simple formula
Aged 21, I was sure I wouldn’t study again. Now I’m embarking on a part-time degree
Her work shocked audiences and critics in the 1990s — but new revivals point to the enduring potency of the playwright’s vision
Studying how our minds work is not about vague therapy jargon — it’s about paying attention
‘Babygirl’ and a new ‘Emmanuelle’ portray female desire but struggle to avoid stock fantasy
His memoir may have hit the charts but things are not quite how they seem
The fable-like story of a family shunning the rules of a surveillance state asks where our world is heading
It’s not ingratitude to acknowledge the tension between acclaim and attention
Following the national team makes me aspire to an Englishness I’m comfortable with
It took her three minutes to say she was blocking me — but the story didn’t end there
The Neapolitan novelist remains an enigma but echoes of ‘My Brilliant Friend’ linger on its heroine’s beloved island
Traditional drinking holes are becoming scarcer as big chains move in, but the best of them connect you with a sense of history and community
In an experiment whose proceeds will go to the Authors Guild of America, 36 authors including Margaret Atwood, John Grisham, Dave Eggers, and Celeste Ng, wrote a collaborative novel
The author on borrowing from life, the joy of fictional ‘gizmos’ — and why we need more stories
This autumnal work about a professor haunted by glimpses of his late wife is a riddling but deeply felt meditation on grief
The author’s account of the aftermath of sexual abuses in a Mennonite community has been nominated for Best Picture
The bestselling novelist has gained a new audience through his tweets from hospital
The ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ author on the life lessons of Tolstoy — and how ‘Jaws’ made him a writer