The Latest Breaking News from Ali Smith

Every autumn, the UK participates in an astonishing commemorative practice: the annual charity drive of the Poppy Appeal. From its origins during the first world war to the purple poppy commemorating animals in wartime, the artificial poppy has become a fragile but enduring symbol of remembrance.

Unlike many animals, humans can’t see biofluorescence unaided – but with a UV torch, a night stroll looks very different

Kicking off our new monthly series about emotions in literature, Sophie Ratcliffe finds the best literary descriptions of hopefulness

A magistrate for nearly 30 years, David Rose describes the feeling of exclusion after not being able to enter certain legal buildings

Four people who lost loved ones recall the chaos of the response – and share why they think Britain was so unprepared

Booker-longlisted in 2018 for their debut novel, In Our Mad and Furious City, the Londoner talks about the follow-up, the slippery life story of a terror suspect, and the fellowship of Ali Smith during a time of stress

Sporle pub, which opened after a renovation under its new name in January, hopes to get a visit from its namesake

Mid Suffolk will become first majority-controlled Green council in UK if party wins at least five more seats

From Mary Wesley’s throuples to James Baldwin’s heartbreak in Paris, writers have long been obsessed by ‘the most sought-after and least examined emotion’. Here Lucy Knight picks her top 10