Gift-giving season is grand (books in the book grocer’s stocking [if the grinch banker doesn't steal Christmas]), but when it comes to unadulterated bibliophilia, it’s autumn that sets our hearts aflutter. With literature festivals ongoing all over the country and a rapid rollout of the heavy hitter awards (the Forward, Nobel and Booker prizes, all in less than a week), there’s plenty to keep us nourished for the duvet days of winter. Booker Tuesday:......

Tough business being a writer. Our editors have promised us a 100 percent pay increase if we win a Bloggie in March, but even that won’t cover the cost of our pub outings. Still, if now’s the moment of truth, kids, when you choose prose or poetry as the more lucrative career path, note the following. When A.L. Kennedy won the Costa Book of the Year award on Tuesday for her novel Day, she......