In a candid chat ahead of the release of his memoir We Did OK, Kid , actor, artist and composer Sir Anthony Hopkins reveals how his tough childhood and long battle with alcoholism formed the contented, joyful man he is today

I WAS lonely. Papa was a preacher and we lived and travelled in a painted wooden wagon, pulled by Jessie, a large and docile shire horse. We had few possessions; there was no room for what Papa called

A familiar tune is shared among the brass band, with the euphonium and tubas leading the march. The little melody grows in stature with each repetition, stirring cracking memories. When Julian Nott wr

ONE OF THE MOST GRIMLY FUNNY POEMS OF the past century is Philip Larkin’s “This Be the Verse,” with its opening salvo about how our parents invariably mess us up. Larkin used a saltier word for “mess,

Springsteen’s epiphany; horror and wonder among the redwoods; a gruesome showdown in an Essex farmhouse; and more…

Jackie Scully, 43, wrote herself a ‘life list’ to help her stay positive during the darkest of times