BooksTolkien fan letters sell at auction for £103kThe letters, books and notes document the friendship between the writer and a profoundly deaf fan.See moreMore headlinesBook prize host and Walter Scott descendant dies aged 49Matthew Maxwell Scott was a great-great-great-great grandson of the famous novelist.'Sex, strategy and power': How women shape the plot of Homer's OdysseyThe protagonist of the epic poem is a heroic male – but the story is shaped by the stratagems and seductions of the women, nymphs and goddesses he meets along the way.Patrice Lawrence named new children's laureateBrighton-born Patrice Lawrence will be the main representative of children's literature until 2028.County prepares to host two literary festivalsAuthors Louis de Bernières and Brogen Murphy will appear alongside poets, historians and journalists.WAtchJohn Grisham on why he still writes as trends shiftThe bestselling author on what new data reveals about America’s steep decline in reading for pleasure.BooksWhy Cher has waited until now to write her memoirCher explains why she has finally written her memoir and who it's for.BooksStriking images of women in the Black Panther PartyStephen Shames' photography offers a radically new and candid picture of the militant black power organisation.BooksBraille: What is it like to read without sight?What happens to our brains when we learn to read Braille?BooksInside the abandoned city of ancient librariesThe African town of Chinguetti is home to a large collection of forgotten ancient books. BooksHow paper is making a comebackAs the world goes digital, paper might seem increasingly obsolete – but it is anything but.Books