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.

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

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

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.

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

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