Film  

Ray Winstone on 44 Inch Chest

He wants to kill the paparazzi, can’t stand politicians. But Kevin Maher finds a softer side to hardman Ray Winstone

Meet the real EastEnders

Melanie Manchot’s film, Celebration, is a portrait of a London community that shows its resilience and diversity

The Bond girl done good

Since her debut with 007, Gemma Arterton has resisted the starlet trap and opted for surprisingly gritty roles

Disney makes history while looking to the past

Animation boss John Lasseter on Disney's first black princess and why he's not nervous about the CGI competition

Visual arts  

Meet Andy Warhol's photographer

In the Sixties the beautiful and the damned flocked to hang out at the Factory — and be photographed by Nat Finkelstein

What was the matter with Van Gogh?

A major London exhibition of Van Gogh art and writing prompts a re-examination of the demons that coloured his vision

It’s official: modern art is rubbish

Michael Landy’s show at the South London Gallery will chuck away work by Gary Hume Peter Blake. What’s it about?

2010: a look ahead at the year in visual art

After years in which conceptual art has been at the centre of cultural fashion, painting has made a comeback

Music  

How Alexandra Burke was reinvented

There’s a touch of newly honed steel about the former X Factor winner as she moves toward global chart domination

Arnando Iannucci: Why I love Mahler

The Thick of It writer and director explains how the music of Gustav Mahler, born 150 years ago, became a lifelong passion

Biffy Clyro: 'We'd die for each other'

The band is an overnight sensation that’s been a decade in the making, but what is their secret? No gig is too small

John Mayer: rock god or celeb boyfriend?

He’s deadly serious about his music — just ask Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson and Cameron Diaz, says Sophie Heawood

TV & Radio  

Moira Stuart returns to the BBC

After the departure that sparked a row over sexism and ageism in 2007, Stuart is to join Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2

Are you ready to wake up with Chris Evans?

As he slips into Terry Wogan's BBC Radio 2 breakfast slot, the DJ tells how his family saved him from sabotaging everything

Hail the TV blockbuster

Sky Movies is screening its most impressive drama to date - The Pacific - while America gets Spartacus: Blood and Sand epic

2010: a look at the year ahead in TV

More than ever the BBC needs to stay on the backs of its three horses: VFM (value for money), Popularity and Distinctiveness

Books  

How to write for book clubs

The creator of the Richard & Judy book club is one of the most influential people in publishing. Here, she offers her tips

'Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was my father'

As one of the controversial author’s books is reissued, his son tells what it was like growing up with a literary legend

Ian Dury by Will Birch

The Sunday Times review by Lynn Barber: charming, manipulative and a self-styled cockney geezer, Ian Dury might not have always been nice, but he was — usually — forgiven

Stage  

Resolution! 2010

The annual dance festival presents a different triple-bill each night for more than a month. It’s off to a great start

The story of Enron

The collapse of the American energy giant Enron led to that most unusual of creatures, the hit accountancy play

Antonia Fraser on her affair with Harold Pinter

Their affair scandalised 1970s society, but the details stayed private — until now. The late playwright's wife reveals all

Can tweeting make comedians wittier?

The 140-character limit on Twitter allows comedy writers like Peter Serafinowicz and Graham Linehan to hone their skills