Booker shortlist: potential showdown between two of the year’s finest novels

British and US authors dominate Man Booker shortlist

No Irish authors make the cut but two US writers feature for the first time

Blinking into the sunlight, years after the war is over

With the sixth Mountains to Sea almost underway, this year’s curator looks at the rise of the book festival

One visit to the dentist you’ll actually enjoy: To Rise Again at a Decent Hour

Review: Joshua Ferris’s third novel glides from comedy to tragedy without once losing the plot