Banksy’s identity may have been published – but was the investigation in the public interest, asks PETER BENGTSEN
IN THIS collection of writings from women across the world, letter-writing is put to work to declare women’s solidarity, strength and resolve.
Edited by Elizabeth Filippouli, a journalist and founder of several networks to promote women’s leadership through partnerships, the book draws on “a global group of accomplished women,” made up of political activists, diplomats and business executives, with a smattering of royalty, writers and artists.
Each letter is a declaration addressed to someone admired, missed or hoped for in the future.
JULIA TOPPIN recommends Patti Smith’s eloquent memoir that wrestles with the beauty and sorrow of a lifetime
As Saudi Arabia is hailed abroad for its ‘reforms,’ the reality for women inside the kingdom grows ever more repressive. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, MARYAM ALDOSSARI argues it is time to stop applauding the illusion – and start listening to the women the state works hardest to silence
FIONA O'CONNOR recommends a biography that is a beautiful achievement and could stand as a manifesto for the power of subtlety in art
FIONA O’CONNOR steps warily through a novel that skewers many of the exposed flanks of the over-privileged



