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Success has come early to the intense poet-novelist Adam Foulds, thanks in part to a ferocious work ethic. He tells Olivia Laing what drives himThough his dark gaze is unwavering and his conversation fizzes with ideas, Adam Foulds is tired. He's just back from a writers' retreat in Italy, his first proper break in more than half a decade. The past few years have been something of a whirlwind: from 'poetry-smitten student' to prize-winning novelist and poet, accepting awards in a rented suit. In 2008 he won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year awards for his first novel, The Truth About These Strange Times, a darkly comedic romp about a Scottish no-hoper who develops an unlikely friendship with a 10-year-old boy. Earlier this year he was awarded the Costa poetry prize for The Broken Word, an intense, disquieting verse history of the Mau Mau uprising from the perspective of an English adolescent. (According to Matthew Parris, chair of the judges, the overall winner, Sebastian Barry,

In 1946 Observer editor David Astor lent George Orwell a remote Scottish farmhouse in which to write his new book, Nineteen Eighty-Four. It became one of the most significant novels of the 20th century. Here, Robert McCrum tells the compelling story of Orwell's torturous stay on the island where the author, close to death and beset by creative demons, was engaged in a feverish race to finish the book'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' Sixty years after the publication of Orwell's masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four, that crystal first line sounds as natural and compelling as ever. But when you see the original manuscript, you find something else: not so much the ringing clarity, more the obsessive rewriting, in different inks, that betrays the extraordinary turmoil behind its composition.Probably the definitive novel of the 20th century, a story that remains eternally fresh and contemporary, and whose terms such as 'Big Brother', 'doublethink' and

The television producer who brought us Keith Floyd and Rick Stein now spills the beans. William Skidelsky tucks inThe TV chefs of the 70s and early 80s were, on the whole, a pretty uninspiring bunch. There was Fanny Cradock and her ridiculous monocled husband, Major Johnnie. There was the wokwielding Ken Hom and the pompous, patrician Derek Cooper. Madhur Jaffrey introduced the curry powder-reliant Brits to fresh coriander and fenugreek, while Marguerite Patten was occasionally wheeled on to bang on about rationing. And then there was Delia, presiding in her matronly fashion over this motley crew, dispensing reassuring advice about Victoria sponges and gravy.Who provides the link between these relics from TV's past and Gordon, Jamie and the other expletive-spouting celebrity chefs of today? According to David Pritchard, author of Shooting the Cook, it is Keith Floyd, the bibulous, bow tiewearing restaurateur from Bristol who made it big in the 80s with his run of shows featuring every

Ken Loach's Looking for Eric is tipped for success at Cannes, which opens on Wednesday. Jason Solomons meets its star and, below, picks five other films to watchWhile Cannes is a second home for stars such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu, the festival often reveals the unlikeliest heroes. When its 64th edition gets under way on Wednesday, one of its biggest stars is sure to be an unknown British actor who will be travelling from his Manchester council flat to the Croisette.Steve Evets gives a beautifully bewildered performance as Eric Bishop, the depressed postman at the centre of Ken Loach's new comic drama, Looking for Eric. The actor, previously a character player in TV dramas such as Heartbeat and Casualty, now stars alongside Eric Cantona after the Manchester United hero comes magically to life to inspire his namesake to better himself. As Evets says: 'We'll be walking up the red carpet and people will say, 'Oh, there's Ken Loach, winner

Following performances from Dizzee Rascal, Kasabian and Basement Jaxx, Gary Lightbody and his band bring the first day of Big Weekend to a close.

Hugh Jackman is heading to Mexico City for a 'Wolverine' premiere that was originally canceled over health concerns resulting from the swine flu. A spokesperson for the film tells ET that the Aussie actor's appearance has been rescheduled for May 26. It is expected to be a big blowout, as it will be held at a 9500-seat auditorium, and at this time, appears to be the first movie premiere to be rescheduled in Mexico City since the outbreak of the flu. Jackman appeared on the front page of Reforma on Friday, and was labeled a hero by the publication.

With an aggressive pricing strategy and high-profile retail placement in big-box outlets, such as COSTCO and Wal-Mart, Vizio has passed up both Samsung and Sony in the numbers of LCD...

New Delhi, May 09: When music maestro AR Rahman won his first Oscar, it was his mother whom he thanked even before god. He is not the only one - most people in Bollywood credit their mothers for being their reliable support system. 'There is a ...

$31 million haul Friday may foretell weekend total in $65-75 million range.

Broadway Beat takes you from the rehearsal studios to opening nights, including in-depth interviews with Tony Award winning stars and directors. Broadway Beat is your front row seat to all the music, all the magic, and all of the magnificent drama that is Broadway.