The Pulitzer-winning author finds a new but unstable address in her latest non-fiction work

Yann Martel handles life’s big mysteries with the lightest of touch. Will he finally emerge from the shadow of his blockbuster fiction? The novelist in conversation with Nandini Nair

Irish author Colm Tóibín is known for his accuracy of detail, whether it is in his descriptions of his walk along the Irish border (Bad Blood) or the emotions of Mary after her son’s crucifixion (The Testament of Mary). He talks to Nandini Nair about the rich solitude that domesticity offers, the genius of Jane Austen and watching his book come alive. Excerpts:

Anchored by dystopias, Margaret Atwood’s prescience has often proved uncanny

Stars, the star-struck and other delights and diversions at literature’s biggest carnival

Helen Macdonald talks about ‘the archaeology of grief’, the influence of Shakespeare and why parrots are vindictive. Excerpts from an interview with Nandini Nair

Steve McCurry speaks to Open about the perils of globalisation, his love for the monsoons and what’s next. Excerpts