Swerve fuel inflation on this magnificent 19th-century penny farthing

Nothing like a vintage bicycle; first edition of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre also on sale

Monique Roffey: “Not all white people are the same, not all white women are the same”

The Mermaid of Black Conch author on women, race and winning Costa Book of the Year

James Bond: How a potentially radical film became a far safer movie

Swapping Danny Boyle for Cary Fukunaga looks like a cautious move by the producers

‘A Traveller going to university shouldn’t be news’

Kathleen Lawrence, who has graduated from Maynooth, was told she was ‘stupid’ at school

The art of the out-of-office email reply

Some seize the opportunity to try to be humorous and creative in holiday autoreplies

Michael Fassbender to be inducted to the Order of Innisfallen

The Hollywood actor is being honoured for his contributions in boosting Killarney’s profile worldwide

Down at heel – An Irishman’s Diary about Charlotte Brontë

Fintan O’Toole’s top British novels

The Irish Times literary editor was one of 82 foreigners polled by the BBC to choose the 100 best British novels. Read how he got on

Donald Clarke: Pity the rich and their wealth of first-world problems

‘I’m betting people like me are immune to this class of wealth-generated depression’

Maeve Higgins’s guide to surviving Valentine’s day and finding love

Valentine’s Day is looming and – horror! – you’re not part of a couple. Panic not, Maeve Higgins is here and she has six fool- proof ways to find love

Alison Weir: ‘I loved fairy tales from infancy’

Brought to Book Q&A: English novelist and historian on inspiring novels and favourite words

The final word: an agent can get your book over the line

How to Write a Book: In the conclusion to our 12-part series, agents give advice about what they look for in a book and how to attract a publisher. An agent is not the sole route into publishing, but the experience of a good one can be pivotal

Eat your words

With the Ballymaloe Literary Festival taking place this weekend, here are 20 literary quotations to whet the appetite

‘If you talk to anyone on set they don’t take me seriously at all – much to my dismay’

Few actors create characters that unnerve as much as Michael Fassbender, and in person he has an intensity that never quite fades. He talks method acting, metal music and making ‘Macbeth’