Five Books

The best biographies combine original research with accessible writing and a strong narrative drive, explains the historian Roy Foster, chair of the judges for the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography. Here, he introduces us to the five "extraordinarily accomplished" books on their 2026 shortlist, including a reassessment of Austrian empress Maria Theresa and a p...

The Nebula Awards finalists for best novel are an annual must for fantasy and sci fi fans. We asked our fantasy and sci fi editor Sylvia Bishop to give us a round-up of the seven titles in the running - a particularly hot contest this year, packed with award-winning names and fresh ideas. The winner will be announced on June 6th.

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"Politics, in its widest sense, courses through all these books. The eight finalists...have thought long and hard about abortion, contraception, gay rights, geopolitics, corruption, religious dogma, regulating technology and treating mental illness. Though these books are all quite different, they are united in showing how much a life of political engagement is a life of purp...

One of the world’s oldest living religions, and historically one of the most significant, Zoroastrianism is unfamiliar to many today. Oxford academic Arash Zeini discusses five books about this pre-Islamic Iranian religion and highlights Zoroastrianism’s positive messages of light and hope.

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All of summer stretching out before you, and still searching for a brilliant new novel to read in the sun? You are not alone. We asked Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn to write a round-up of books that should be on your to-be-read list this season.

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