Latest from Canvas magazine

Ramsay: The show must go on

Chef Gordon Ramsay has been hit with a multimillion-dollar bill in the latest round of his family feud, but he’s still very much in the game, finds Julia Llewellyn Smith.

Fashion: Neutral high

There’s nothing sexier this season than 50 shades of beige.

Brunch: Panscape, Newmarket

Heading out for brunch? Check out the latest review in Canvas magazine for inspiration.

Why is Grumpy Cat so special?

What makes Grumpy Cat so special? Nothing, writes Greg Dixon. His cat is far cuter.

Books: Patience brings its rewards

Back in the familiar rural midwest of her previous novels, Moo, Horse Heaven and A Thousand Acres, Pulitzer prize-winner Jane Smiley presents us with the first volume of a projected trilogy.

Books: Revelation and disintegration

A novel is a place where past and present versions of one person can co-exist, and in his fifth novel Andrew O'Hagan movingly explores the way the "flotsam" of a life can rise to the surface as old age and memory go about their strange and poignant work.

Books: Expert guided tour through rich history

To modern eyes, the little wagon in a Berlin museum looks like a model of an old horse-drawn cart. Solidly made, about as big as a baby's cot, it is in fact a handcart, to be pulled by people, not animals.

Books: Unsettling presence in everyday life

Plaudits to the publisher for their tactile, trim presentation of this small-is-beautiful novella. And to the Australian author herself for a rewarding — and riddling — little read.

James Griffin: What I learnt from the Catton-clamour

Now that the dust has settled, it is possibly a good time for me to step back and think about all the things I learnt from the Eleanor Catton interlude.

Books: The river runs wild

Lucy Wood’s first novel is a magic realist ghost story set in Devon. Lucy Popescu went there to meet her.

James Griffin: We need more public holidays

New Zealand is simply a much better place to live on days you don't have to go to work. This is why we need many more legally sanctioned holidays. And this is why I am here to suggest a few.

Sydney: From a great height

Dylan Cleaver conquers his fears and discovers a new outlook over Sydney.

Wine: Inexpensive buys

In the aftermath of a reckless Christmas/New Year/summer holiday spend-up, and faced with a credit card account spinning out of control — here are some great, inexpensive buys.

Review: Cafe Hanoi, Auckland

Cafe Hanoi deserves its fashionable reputation.

My life with Stephen Hawking

As the film of their life is released, Jane Hawking recalls how she fell in love with the legendary physicist against the haunting backdrop of his developing motor neurone disease.

Fashion: Top up

You can leave your hat on.

Brunch: Meadow, Meadowbank

There’s something for everyone at this newcomer to the eastern suburbs — especially if you like tomato juice.

Inside the mind of Lee Child

Every September 1, Lee Child begins work on another of his massively popular Jack Reacher mysteries. this time, he had Andy Martin looking over his shoulder.