This is poetry in paint, spectacular but never spectacle for its own sake, writes JAN WOOLF

JAN WOOLF relishes a book of poetry that deploys the energy of political struggle, rooted in post-war working class history and culture

JAN WOOLF marvels at a rich brew of steam-punk Victoriana, homosexual scandal, and contemporary reference

JAN WOOLF ponders the images of humanity that emerge from the tormented, destructive process of the Kindertransport survivor Frank Auerbach

JAN WOOLF savours the essays of Hilary Mantel: high calorific brain food that slips down nicely

JAN WOOLF ponders a year of challenging reviews

JAN WOOLF relishes a seasonal offering of peanuts

JAN WOOLF enjoys an imaginative revival of the Anton Chekhov classic

JAN WOOLF is sucked into a unique vision of the urban US from the perspective of immigrant and queer communities

JAN WOOLF joins forces with artists and activists who seek to understand and resist corporate capital

JAN WOOLF swoons to a sublime blend of poetry and choreography

JAN WOOLF reviews the latest title from the 'chronicler of muddle England'

Plastic surgery was pioneered on those injured in World War I. JAN WOOLF reads an account of how this technology emerged, written with grace and love

Walter Sickert’s depictions of the lives and behaviours of ordinary people was ground breaking and free from hypocrisy, contends JAN WOOLF

JAN WOOLF recommends a play which is a marvel of ensemble playing, where actors and on-stage musicians are in high-energy harmony

JAN WOOLF recommends a new post-Brexit analysis of how Britain can rejuvenate its manufacturing sector

JAN WOOLF is thrilled by the theatre but laments the omission of any reference to collective consciousness in class struggle

Images of life-affirming creativity from iconic women's peace camp

Mordant critique of an art world infected by neoliberal values

Visceral, confrontational and emotionally charged, the retrospective of scenarios by the great Portuguese artist transfixes JAN WOOLF

Hugely enjoyable account of a musical genius's domestic life

Affecting tale of mid-life crises

Robert Burton’s 1621 epic resonates today both as a literary work and a study in what we now call depression