The first great lockdown novel, new tales from David Nicholls, Sarah Perry and Percival Everett, and Rachel Kushner’s contender for the Booker… next year promises to be special

Writers from David Mitchell to Graham Greene and Rachel Kushner tell stories that seek out interconnectedness, testing and pulling at the idea of nationhood

From Toni Morrison and Zadie Smith to Peter Benchley, novelist Jonathan Lee chooses books that celebrate areas where strangers can mingle and be less alone

The acclaimed essayist and novelist on the genius of Don DeLillo, the temptation of motorbikes, and being swept away by CocoRosie

The US novelist mixes grit with gloss in sharp examinations of artists and writers – and her wild youth

Facing up to the world without adult support is present in Greek myths and remains a key theme in authors from Anna Burns to Douglas Stuart and Rachel Kushner