Literary Christmas presents: John Safran on Sorry – The Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright

We asked Australian authors to choose a book as a gift and who they would give it to. Here, John Safran explains why he chose Jack Marx's tale of fame, and downfall as the perfect stocking filler for Justin Bieber

Bob Stanley’s 10 best music histories

From the frantic birth of rock'n'roll to the rages of punk, these books capture the excitement of popular music, writes Bob Stanley

Carol Ann Duffy writes poem for Royal Philharmonic Society’s bicentenary

Poet laureate celebrates 200 years of society that commissioned Beethoven's 9th with ode titled Philharmonic

Beyoncé samples Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s call to feminism

The Nigerian writer's impassioned words from TEDx talk used by pop diva Beyoncé on her new track ***Flawless, writes Liz Bury

From Doctor Who to American Psycho: Matt Smith and other actor rebrands

Matt Smith has ditched Doctor Who for Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. It's quite a contrast, and he's not the first to do this sort of thing. So why do actors love these big switcheroos, asks Stuart Heritage

Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer: an audience with geek royalty

Musician Amanda Palmer and graphic novelist Neil Gaiman met, fell in love, toured and have now made an album. The misfit heroes of the alt scene share their lives with millions of Twitter fans. What's public and what's off-limits?

Iain Sinclair and Ray Davies: beats in common

Both as engaged with Americana as London mythology, this unlikely pair have walked surprisingly similar paths

The best music books of 2013

From Morrissey's Autobiography to the tale of Paul McCartney's strange decade, Dorian Lynskey finds books to satisfy even the most ravenous hunger for pop

Black Francis’s graphic novel joins rock’s cartoon tradition

The Good Inn, Pixies' frontman's turn from sound to visions, follows numerous other musicians, and makes natural sense

Starting at Zero, His Own Story by Jimi Hendrix, edited by Alan Douglas and Peter Neal – review

Ed Vulliamy hails the nearest we'll ever get to an autobiography by the guitarist who redefined pop

Best at rugby*, top of the charts: the joy of being a Kiwi

Singer Lorde and Man Booker prize winner Eleanor Catton have become ambassadors for a cultural renaissance in NZ

The Leonard Bernstein Letters edited by Nigel Simeone – review

This cleverly edited collection of letters reveals an attractive and energetic man. But Bernstein now has a mixed musical reputation – even if West Side Story will live forever. Philip Hensher

Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker by Stanley Crouch – review

Richard Williams on a pungent life of the jazz saxophonist, told from a black perspective

Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer: five highlights from their Reddit AMA

The popular writer and performer talk to fans about tea, ubiquitous black T-shirts and how to deal with internet haters