Charles Dickens biographer Claire Tomalin says children are not being taught to read with the attention span necessary to appreciate the novelist's works.

Depardieu to star as Strauss-Kahn

Gerard Depardieu is to star in a movie about the sex scandal that caused IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn to resign.

Lana Del Rey conquers album chart

US singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey goes straight in at number one in the UK album chart with her debut release Born To Die.

Film-maker Zalman King dies at 70

Film-maker Zalman King, best known for writing and producing the hit movie Nine and a Half Weeks, dies aged 70.

BBC accuses Iran of intimidation

The BBC's Director General, Mark Thompson, accuses the Iranian authorities of intimidating those working for its Persian service.

Poster 'threat' to Dujardin Oscar

Movie billboards in Paris featuring The Artist actor Jean Dujardin might affect his chances of winning an Academy Award, according to French press.

King's Speech premieres on stage

Almost a year after the film reigned supreme at the Oscars, the stage version of The King's Speech has its world premiere.

Gospel singer David Peaston dies

R&B and gospel singer David Peaston, best known for the tracks Two Wrongs (Don't Make it Right) and Can I?, dies aged 54.

Grant 'on board' for Jones film

Actor Hugh Grant will star in the third Bridget Jones movie, despite recent reports that he had pulled out of the sequel

Connolly ends shows after heckles

Comedian Billy Connolly is criticised for ending two of his stand-up shows early in the past week due to hecklers.

Artist set for Facebook windfall

A US graffiti artist who painted Facebook's offices is set to become a millionaire when the social network begins trading as a public company.

Calvin Harris named top hitmaker

Pop star Calvin Harris was the most successful songwriter in the UK singles chart in 2011, according to research from trade magazine Music Week.

Noises Off transfers to West End

Michael Frayn's comedy Noises Off is to transfer to the West End after breaking box office records at the Old Vic.

US artist Mike Kelley found dead

Artist Mike Kelley, whose unsettling installations helped define contemporary art in Los Angeles, has died at the age of 57.

Crime dominates library lending

Novels by authors such as James Patterson and Lee Child are among the most borrowed books from British libraries.

Actor Imam is sentenced to jail

Egypt's leading comic actor Adel Imam receives a three-month jail sentence for insulting Islam in films and plays.

Protests over Hungarian director

An actor known for his far-right views takes up his position as director of a prominent Hungarian theatre amid controversy and protests in the streets of Budapest.

Bond team release Skyfall image

Actor Daniel Craig is shown wielding a gun and sporting stubble in the first official image from the new James Bond film Skyfall.

Hunt for lowest ever bass singer

A record company has begun a worldwide search for the singer who can sing a note so low that it is thought never to have been sung before.

Radio 1's Hackney 2012 revealed

BBC Radio 1 have announced more than 25 acts to take part in the Olympic Hackney weekend festival.

Sabbath drummer makes tour threat

Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward threatens to pull out of the bands reunion, unless he is presented with a "signable contract".

Asian TV characters 'stereotyped'

Australia is more forward-thinking than the UK when it comes to portraying ethnic minorities in soaps, says Neighbours actor Sachin Joab.

ITV's Fred West drama wins award

Appropriate Adult, ITV1's dramatisation of the arrest of killer Fred West, picks up best single drama at the Broadcast awards in London.

Simpsons role for Julian Assange

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is to guest star on animated comedy The Simpsons, it is confirmed.

VIDEO: Iran 'intimidating BBC Persian'

The BBC's director general Mark Thompson has accused the Iranian authorities of intimidating those working for its Persian service.

VIDEO: The Queen's unofficial portraits

One of the first events to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee is taking place at the Cartoon Museum in London.

VIDEO: Art by animals goes on show

A work of abstract expressionism by a chimp and a still life of a flower by an elephant are part of a new exhibition in London of artworks created by animals.

VIDEO: Thailand's teen piano prodigy

At the age of 14, Gun Chaikittiwatana is already playing some of the hardest pieces ever written for classical piano.

VIDEO: Lana tops album chart and more news

Lana Del Rey's debut album tops the charts and Scarlett Johansson's honoured at the Golden Camera Awards in Berlin plus the rest of the day's top entertainment headlines.

VIDEO: Dickens characters traced by historian

There's new evidence that Dickens lived much closer to some of the characters in his novels than previously thought.

VIDEO: Meet the Author: James Treadwell

The BBC's Nick Higham talks to James Treadwell about his book Advent.

VIDEO: Ryan gives Denzel black eye on set

Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds has revealed that he accidentally gave his co-star Denzel Washington a black eye while filming an action scene for his new film Safe House.

David Jason moves behind the camera

Sir David Jason moves behind the camera

Residents say no to film-makers

The residents fed-up with movie stars and camera crews

Old strips and online aid comics

Why nostalgia and the internet are increasingly important for comics

'Cult' film explores sect secrets

Martha Macy May Marlene explores the attraction of cults

In pictures: Copycat exhibition

Original artworks hang alongside copies in new exhibition

The US cult of Downton Abbey

What's behind US cult appeal of Downton Abbey?

Oscars: Best picture nominees

The nine best picture nominees for 2012