Books, arts and culture

Prospero

An enchanting mix of literary insight and cultural commentary, in the spirit of the hero of “The Tempest”

Paranormal activity
How “Host” was made on Zoom in lockdown

The horror movie uses the video-conferencing technology to great effect

Pop music
Freed from commercial obligations, Taylor Swift changes direction

She is the latest in a long line of music stars who have turned a crisis to their advantage

Weighty fiction
A concise, brilliant adaptation of “A Suitable Boy”

Mira Nair and Andrew Davies have done an excellent job adapting Vikram Seth’s tome into a miniseries

A man of the world
Peter Green was arguably Britain’s greatest blues guitarist

After a troubled life, the founder of Fleetwood Mac died on July 25th, aged 73

An economic stimulant
A fascinating history of the conduct and impact of the tea trade

Andrew Liu illuminates the role of British actors, but is most interested in the Chinese and Indian industries

Rock hitmakers
For “Back in Black”, the secret of success was Mutt Lange

The producer has helped shape records by music’s superstars, including the second-biggest album in history

Organised crime
“The Traitor” tells the true story of a Mafia supergrass

The Cosa Nostra is weaker today thanks to Tommaso Buscetta’s disclosures

Choreomania
In 1518 Strasbourg was consumed by a “dancing plague”

A new short film reimagines a curious event in history

The personal and the political
Käthe Kollwitz’s masterful depictions of suffering

The artist, best known for her prints of the working class, drew on her own experiences of tragedy

You know he’s nothing but a man
Was “Flash Gordon” the last of the risqué superhero films?

The recent Marvel and “Star Wars” movies are decidedly prim by comparison

Crossing the pond
Charco Press is bringing new Latin American fiction to British readers

Literature from the region has long been overlooked in the UK

Searching for the land of Nod
Adults across the world are listening to bedtime stories

Soporific tales on Calm, a meditation app, have helped people cope with stress during the pandemic