BooksLibraries launch dementia support book collectionNorth Yorkshire Council hopes to help families living with dementia.See moreMore headlinesWhat is Hay Festival and who is headlining?This year's Hay Festival features a varied lineup, from Geri Halliwell-Horner to Theresa May.WalesLibrary booking charge paused thanks to avid-readerA council is no longer going ahead with plans to charge people £1.15 when reserving a book.EssexMargin notes by poet Milton found in library bookCambridge University confirms the handwriting is that of the Paradise Lost poet, John Milton.EnglandNobel Prize winning author Alice Munro dies aged 92The Canadian writer was known as the "master of the contemporary short story".US & CanadaActor playing Dylan Thomas thankful for Swift songMatthew Rhys hopes Taylor Swift namechecking Dylan Thomas will introduce him to a new generation.WalesChildren's author wins top British Book AwardKatherine Rundell, G.T. Karber and Rory Stewart and Rebecca F. Kuang were the big winners.CultureReviews33 of the best books of 2023From a reimagining of Orwell's 1984 to the story of Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi, these are BBC Culture's picks of the best fiction of the year.See moreWatchStriking 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.BooksPreserving the ancient art of handcrafting booksIn the digital age, the beautiful and ancient art of hand-binding books is under threat.BooksElizabeth Day: 'I felt so understood in the pages'When Elizabeth Day had a miscarriage, it was the words in a book from 1936 that helped her through it.BooksHow reading can help us cope with deathLisa Appignanesi describes how reading fiction helped her deal with bereavement.BooksMichael Rosen: 'How poetry helped me to grieve'When author Michael Rosen lost his son, he found inspiration to write again in a poem by Raymond Carver.BooksThe fiction that helped Laura Freeman recover from anorexiaHow a love of reading helped one woman recover from anorexia.BooksIs this Italy’s smallest library?One retired teacher is spreading the joy of books using his tiny mobile library.BooksThe man who lives in a library with no rulesNanie Guanlao turned his home into a library for his community in Manila.BooksThe ancient library where the books are under lock and keyStep inside the world’s largest surviving chained library.BooksBiblioburro: The amazing donkey libraries of ColombiaOne man and his loyal donkeys spreading the joy of books in Colombia.BooksMore BooksBritish-Ghanaian writer wins Dylan Thomas PrizeCaleb Azumah Nelson, from south east London, is awarded £20,000 for his novel Small Worlds. WalesRhys hopes Swift song introduces fans to poetThe music icon name dropped the Welsh poet in the chorus of one of her songs in her new album.WalesJudges unveil Wales Book of the Year shortlistThe winners will be announced at an event in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, on 4 July. WalesHow sci-fi writer JG Ballard predicted ChatGPTIn the 1970s, the English author was intrigued by the growing capabilities of computers – so used one to compose poems. They were a first step on the road to ChatGPT.FutureThe 'delicious irony' of the 2024 Met Gala themeIn JG Ballard's dystopian story The Garden of Time – which has inspired this year's dress code – the super-rich hide themselves in Arcadian splendour while the "great unwashed" riot.CultureRecital of renowned Manx poem released onlineA 32-year-old recording of Dollin Kelly reciting T E Brown’s Betsy Lee is released online.Isle of ManVast collection of Ladybird classics 'coming home'Collector Helen Day says the familiar pocket-sized favourites are a "backdrop to my childhood".EnglandBookshop opens at 5am for local writersKemptown Bookshop in Brighton opens its doors at 05:00 BST once a month for a silent writing session.SussexUS author Paul Auster dies aged 77The writer was best known for The New York Trilogy and gained cult status in the 1980s and 90s.Culture