What happens when the rules disappear? No teachers. No parents. No police. No laws. No adults to tell us what is right and wrong. Just a group of children, an island, and the freedom to decide what happens next. When William Golding published Lord of the Flies in 1954, he turned this deceptively simple premise into one of the most unsettling novels of the twentieth century. More than seven decades later, the book remains a fixture in classrooms, book clubs and reading lists. Its setting may be an unnamed tropical island, but its questions have never stayed there. What holds society together? Are human beings naturally cooperative, or does civilisation merely keep something darker under control? And what happens when fear becomes more powerful than reason? Golding does not offer comfortable answers. Also read: One Stormy Night, One Ghost Story Contest: How Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Was Born

Indian literature is filled with unforgettable tales of love, loss, and longing, and few stories have captured the imagination of readers and filmmakers quite like Devdas. The tragic romance has travelled across languages and generations, becoming one of the most celebrated stories in Indian popular culture. Behind this timeless tale was a writer whose own life and literary world were equally fascinating—Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Imagine you are with your friends, and you’ve planned to hang out together and enjoy the summer. But life has other plans. The weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse, and now you have to spend the stormy night together. If this were a modern-day scenario, you’d probably have your phones in your hands, music playing in the background, and endless things to talk about. You could complain about how hectic life has been, scroll through social media, or put on a movie. With the internet at your fingertips, entertainment would be almost effortless. Writing and creating something together probably wouldn’t be the first thing on anyone’s mind. But centuries ago, four writers found themselves in almost exactly this situation. One of them was a teenage Mary Shelley. There were no phones to scroll through, no streaming services to turn to, and no internet to rescue them from boredom. Instead, they had books, conversations, imagination—and a particularly miserable summer of 1816, the Year Without Summer.

The Booker Prize 2026 longlist has been announced, unveiling the 13 novels in contention for one of the world's most prestigious awards for English-language fiction. Selected from 163 submissions, this year's "Booker Dozen" was chosen by a judging panel chaired by celebrated scholar, writer and broadcaster Mary Beard, alongside award-winning poet, writer and educator Raymond Antrobus, musician, writer and broadcaster Jarvis Cocker, journalist, editor and critic Rebecca Liu, and Booker Prize-shortlisted novelist, poet and essayist Patricia Lockwood. Describing the selection as one that "rewards risk," the judges have highlighted a longlist that celebrates originality, ambition and the enduring power of the novel.

Marjane Satrapi, the celebrated French-Iranian graphic novelist, filmmaker, and human rights advocate best known for her groundbreaking memoir Persepolis , has died in Paris at the age of 56. The news was confirmed by French authorities and members of her family. According to family statements cited by French media, Satrapi had been deeply affected by the death of her husband, Swedish producer Mattias Ripa, in 2025. Born in Rasht, Iran, in 1969 and raised in Tehran, Satrapi gained international recognition with Persepolis , her autobiographical graphic memoir chronicling her childhood during and after the Iranian Revolution. First published in 2000, the work became a global bestseller and was later adapted into an award-winning animated film co-directed by Satrapi, earning an Academy Award nomination. Throughout her career, Satrapi used art and storytelling to explore themes of identity, exile, freedom, and resistance. Beyond Persepolis , she authored acclaimed works including Chicken with Plums and remained an outspoken advocate for women's rights and democratic freedoms in Iran. Her recent work continued to highlight the struggles and resilience of the Iranian people. Tributes poured in from across the literary, artistic, and political worlds. French President Emmanuel Macron described her as a great artist whose work transformed her personal experiences into a universal story of freedom and courage. Satrapi leaves behind a remarkable legacy that reshaped the graphic memoir genre and introduced millions of readers worldwide to a deeply personal perspective on modern Iranian history. Her work remains a powerful testament to the enduring role of storytelling in confronting oppression and preserving memory.

“When it came to me, Mrs Roy taught me how to think, then raged against my thoughts. She taught me to be free and raged against my freedom. She taught me to write and resented the author I became”