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Swinging Sixties: Marsha Hunt

Mick waxes lyrical in love letters

‘I’m broke,’ says Marsha Hunt, inspiration for the song Brown Sugar, explaining her reason for selling Jagger’s letters to her from the summer of ’69.

Ai Weiwei: Pricking your conscience

Ai Weiwei: Pricking your conscience

After the vast emptiness of the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, Ai Weiwei this week filled a London space that could hardly be more of a contrast.

A hip place to park in Moscow

A ruined Soviet-era restaurant in Gorky Park, Moscow, is set to become the unlikely new home for one of ­Russia’s hippest arts centres.

Barnes a unanimous choice for Booker

British novelist Julian Barnes finally won the literary prize that has eluded him on three previous occasions.

Madonna’s love story debuts at Venice fest

Madonna’s love story debuts at Venice fest

Directed by the singer, <i>WE</i> is a sympathetic portrait of star-crossed lovers Edward VII and Mrs Simpson.

Giant puff for Ai Weiwei

Giant puff for Ai Weiwei

Anish Kapoor this week dedicated his largest artwork ever to the missing Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei.

William Blake etchings shown for the first time

When viewing the tiny hand-coloured etchings of figures being burned alive and hair being washed in blood it is fine to be bemused and baffled.

‘Dangerous ballet’ opens festival

Classical ballet has rarely been portrayed like this, featuring murder, drug-taking, self-harming, unhealthy narcissism and lesbian sex.

British library acquires JG Ballard archive

Manuscripts, letters, notebooks and even the school reports of JG Ballard have been saved for the British public.

Thai film takes Palme d’Or

Asian cinema was the surprise winner of this year’s Cannes festival — a lyrically beautiful and often surreal Thai movie took the Palme d’Or.

A fool’s game

Mark Brown reports on the winners of the recent Bafta film awards.

The tale of the £1,95m auction hammer

Sotheby’s recently sold a handwritten volume of five stories by JK Rowling for an eye-popping £1,95-million, writes Mark Brown.

Dead flies for Christmas

After protracted talks, Hirst has donated four important pieces from his personal collection to the Tate Gallery in London. Mark Brown reports.