‘We’re gripped by graphomania’: why writing became an online contagion and how we can contain it

Conspiracy theories, provocations, baseless accusations… long before our clickbait era, women in pre-revolutionary France were the subject of salacious attacks. Their response offers hope for us all

The Guardian view on Heartstopper: a phenomenon that defines a generation

Editorial: Alice Oseman’s tale of queer romance is a global success story built on fans who want to feel good about themselves in tough times

The Gutenberg Parenthesis by Jeff Jarvis review – how print shaped culture

From the Gutenberg press to the digital age, an illuminating account of the way technology influences the stories we tell

My big Birmingham bookshop crawl: why booksellers are suddenly thriving

In 2009, two bookshops a week were closing in the UK and the days of physical books seemed numbered. Now, indie stores are booming. What explains the turnaround – and can it be sustained?

Goodreads is right to divide opinions, wrong to boil them down

I don’t choose books based on the aggregate rating as if they are skincare products, nor do I think any critical verdict is the final one

Authors file a lawsuit against OpenAI for unlawfully ‘ingesting’ their books

Mona Awad and Paul Tremblay allege that their books, which are copyrighted, were ‘used to train’ ChatGPT because the chatbot generated ‘very accurate summaries’ of the works

Disney+ documentary reignites anger over Marvel Comics’ cult of Stan Lee

Families of artists Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, and broadcaster Jonathan Ross, say pair were at forefront of creating Marvel characters

Bloomsbury admits using AI-generated artwork for Sarah J Maas novel

Publisher says cover of House of Earth and Blood was prepared by in-house designers unaware the stock image chosen was not human-made

‘Beowulf is lit AF’ – could ChatGPT really write good book blurbs?

Some in the book industry have already begun exploring automation of its pitches to readers. We took this functionality for a test drive

Kopalapillai Mahadeva obituary

Other lives: Professor of production engineering and management admired for his contributions to Tamil literature and culture in the UK

Blue Mountains review – brilliant Georgian shaggy-dog satire on the Soviet mindset

A welcome revival of a 1980s comedy prophesying the collapse of the Soviet Union

TikTok to sell books directly to users via marketplace

To further capitalise on the popularity of BookTok the social media giant will let users purchase titles through partnerships with publishers and retailers

Inspirational passion or paid-for promotion: can BookTok be taken on face value?

TikTok’s book reviewing community is here to stay, having even received publishing awards for innovation, but issues of authenticity and safety abound

The Guardian view on BookTok: a welcome disruptor of the status quo

Editorial: The social media platform is revolutionising bookshops and galvanising publishers. Enjoy it while it lasts

Penguin cuts off Meal Prep King cook after misogynistic rant

Cookbook fans ‘heartbroken’ after John Clark’s derogatory outburst on social media