Stan and deliver: art, books, film and more about super-fandom
From an intimate take on Harry Potter to a moving monument to Marilyn, our writers celebrate culture that plays the fame game
Shake, rattle and write: why the music memoir is booming
From Bono to Jarvis Cocker, Bruce Springsteen to Cosey Fanni Tutti, the last decade has seen an explosion of books by artists from every walk of musical life. Why is this once-rare genre striking a chord with stars and readers alike?
Britney Spears’s ‘brave’ tell-all memoir out in October
The Woman in Me, which will cover pop star’s conservatorship experience among other topics, is set for release later this year
Charlie Watts’ book collection to be sold at Christie’s
Rare books owned by the Rolling Stones drummer – including first editions of The Great Gatsby and The Hound of the Baskervilles – will be auctioned this autumn
Dolly Parton: the star who unites rock with country … and left with right
The singer has the political talent to take stands – on gay rights, or child literacy – without losing her conservative heartland fans
‘He tells you it’s all right to be miserable’: why Nick Drake enchants every new generation
Almost 50 years after his death, an official biography and a forthcoming album of artists reinterpreting his songs are to be celebrated – as is the fact that he still remains an enigma
CIA experiments, Mormon ravers and reformed racists: the untold history of MDMA
A new book, I Feel Love, explores the rollicking history of the 90s club drug turned 21st-century therapeutic treatment
‘A nuclear reactor of music’: the story of Simple Minds’ classic album Empires and Dance
Before their 80s megastardom, the band minted a strange vision of European culture and tension that still resonates. They – and superfan James Dean Bradfield from the Manic Street Preachers – reflect on its power
On my radar: Lesley Sharp’s cultural highlights
The actor on her love of dance, the reality TV series Below Deck and what helps her to write
Summer reading: 50 brilliant books to discover
From family sagas to political memoirs, the best recent books to accompany your summer break, plus page-turning paperbacks and children’s and YA books
Bee Gees: Children of the World by Bob Stanley review – very high and mighty
The author and musician’s engaging biography of the Gibb brothers explores their idiosyncrasies as well as musical brilliance
‘If you have dreams, follow them!’ Paul Nicholas on Bowie, the Bee Gees, playing Jesus – and ruffling the king’s hair
In six decades in showbiz, he has been murdered by Screaming Lord Sutch, played the lead in Hair, had hit singles and a hit sitcom – and surprised Serge Gainsbourg
The arts are finally on Australia’s national agenda. We need the ABC to cover it
As the government passed landmark legislation for the arts, it was jarring to see the national broadcaster take steps in the other direction
Adele Bertei: ‘We did all the things rock’n’roll boys would be lionised for’
The creator of the first all-female openly queer rock band talks about her memoir and why the music scene wasn’t ready for her
Hot in here: music, books, stage and more to keep you cool in a heatwave
From taking an idyllic boat trip to drying out your trunks on a Porsche, our critics select culture that can cope when the heat is on