From Alan Bennett's Alleluja! to Yves Klein's blue, Bryn Terfel to Britney Spears – our critics pick the new season's must-sees

JULY 4

THEATRE: The Lehman Trilogy

Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles play the Lehman Brothers in Ben Power’s drama about the institution at the epicentre of the 2008 financial crash, directed by Sam Mendes. National Theatre, London SE1 (020 7452 3000), until Oct 20

JULY  5

BOOKS So Much Life Left Over by Louis de Bernières

Skipping between Ceylon, London and Germany, this novel by the author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin follows a married couple on an increasingly thorny path through the interwar world. Harvill Secker, £16.99

OPERA The Skating Rink

David Sawer’s opera, conducted by Garry Walker, is based on a novel by Roberto Bolano – a murder story interlaced with social satire and romantic comedy. Garsington Opera at Wormsley, (01865 361636), until July 16

BOOKS There There by Tommy Orange

Among this year’s first-time novelists, look out for Tommy Orange, whose debut, dealing with American Indians in California, has gone down a storm in the US. Harvill Secker, £14.99

JULY  6

THEATRE As You Like It

London’s most enchanting outdoor theatre finally serves up a spot of Shakespeare, directed by Max Webster. Open Air Theatre, London NW1 (0844 826 4242), until July 28

POP British Summer Time

For fans of 76-year-old Paul Simon this year’s festival is a particularly poignant affair: this will be his final British show before retirement from the stage. Other headliners include the Cure, Eric Clapton and Bruno Mars. Hyde Park, London W1 (bst-hydepark.com), until July 15

FILM Mary Shelley 

The love story of the Shelleys (Elle Fanning and Douglas Booth) is the backdrop to Frankenstein’s creation, in a film by Haifaa al-Mansour, Saudi Arabia’s first female director. Expect a lot of misty woodland walks.

THEATRE The Glenn Miller Story

Sixty years after his Coliseum debut, Tommy Steele, 81, salutes the wartime big band leader. Coliseum, London WC2 (020 7845 9300), until Aug 18

JULY  7

EXHIBITIONS Rembrandt: Britain’s Discovery of the Master

The 17th and 18th-century “mania” for collecting Rembrandt’s works, and its impact on British taste, is explored through 50 key pieces. Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh (0131 624 6200), until Oct 14

OPERA Falstaff

Nicola Luisotti conducts Robert Carsen’s production of Verdi’s Shakespearean comedy; Bryn Terfel reprises his marvellous, rich characterisation of the Fat Knight. Royal Opera House, London WC2 (0207 304 4000), until July 21

COMEDY ARGComFest

See the best of the Edinburgh Fringe early in this two-day festival of previews. Highlights include Danish award-winner Sofie Hagen, The Mash Report’s Nish Kumar and Fringe stalwart Mark Watson. Shoreditch Town Hall, London EC1 (020 7739 6176), until July 8

THEATRE A Monster Calls

Patrick Ness’s 2011 novel about a boy whose fears for his terminally ill mother are assuaged by the visitations of a storytelling monster gets a stage adaptation by the redoubtable Sally Cookson. Old Vic, London SE1 (0844 871 7628), until Aug 25

JULY  9

TELEVISION Sharp Objects

HBO’s latest must-see is adapted from a novel by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (Big Little Lies). Amy Adams stars as a troubled journalist who returns to her Missouri hometown to investigate the murder of two young girls. Sky Atlantic

JULY  11

EXHIBITIONS William Kentridge: The Head and the Load

Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall makes a dramatic backdrop for the South African artist’s multimedia commemoration of the contribution of African servicemen to the First World War. Tate Modern, London SE1 (020 7887 8888), until July 15

CLASSICAL Cheltenham Music Festival

Cheltenham’s summer festival (which starts today) packs the familiar and the new into 16 days of first-class music-making. The July 11 programme stands out, with four world premieres from the Ligeti String Quartet. Various venues, Cheltenham (01242 850270), until July 15

TELEVISION Picnic at Hanging Rock

Joan Lindsay’s novel set at an Australian girls’ boarding school in 1900 (immortalised in Peter Weir’s 1975 film) comes to the small screen. Natalie Dormer is the headmistress under whose watch a group of girls vanish during a picnic. BBC Two

THEATRE Allelujah! 

Nicholas Hytner continues his long and fruitful relationship with Alan Bennett with the premiere of Bennett’s latest, set in an old-fashioned cradle-to-grave hospital on the edge of the Pennines. Bridge Theatre, London SE1 (0333 320 0051), until Sep 29

EXHIBITIONS Memory Palace

Jay Jopling’s contemporary gallery celebrates 25 years in business with works exploring memory by 40 of its artists, including Mona Hatoum and Christian Marclay. White Cube Mason’s Yard and Bermondsey, London SW1 and SE1 (0207 930 5373), until Sept 15

THEATRE King Lear 

The crowning glory of Ian McKellen’s late Shakespearean career – as seen in Chichester last year. Sinéad Cusack plays Kent. Duke of York’s, London WC2 (020 8544 7469), until Nov 3

JULY  12

BOOKS Clock Dance by Anne Tyler

Against the great American novelist’s familiar backdrop of Baltimore, Clock Dance traces the life of Willa in jerky narrative jumps from the moment in 1967 when she is 11 years old and her mother storms out. Chatto and Windus, £18.99

FILM Skyscraper

Think Die Hard but set in a Hong Kong tower, with Dwayne Johnson in the Bruce Willis role. Then up the ante: Johnson’s character has a prosthetic arm, the building is on fire after a terrorist attack, and his family are trapped at the top.

TELEVISION Keeping Faith

When shown on BBC Wales earlier this year, this thriller became the iPlayer’s most popular non-network show ever. Now’s your chance to catch it on BBC One. Eve Myles stars as the mother whose husband vanishes unexpectedly. BBC One, exact date TBC 

BOOKS Night-Gaunts and Other Tales of Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates

The prolific Oates works her magic on a small canvas in this taut collection of short stories about ageing, jealous wives, lonely mistresses and a game of Russian roulette with poisoned teacups. Head of Zeus, £18.99

POP Latitude Festival

The Killers, Alt-J and Beyoncé’s afrofunk sister Solange are headline attractions but the food, comedians and psychedelically coloured sheep are as much of a draw at this easy going-festival. Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk (latitudefestival.com), until July 15

BOOKS My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

The American novelist follows her slick, cynical debut Eileen – a noir thriller shortlisted for the 2015 Booker Prize – with a novel about a young woman’s year of drug-stupefaction. Jonathan Cape, £12.99

THEATRE Spamilton

As seen, to high praise, in the United States, Gerard Alessandrini’s loving hammering of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton follows its inspiration to London. Miranda’s verdict? “I laughed my brains out.” Menier Chocolate Factory, SE1 (020 7378 1713), to Sept 8

JULY  13

FILM The Incredibles 2

If Pixar’s superhero family had been ageing in real time, baby Jack-Jack would now be old enough to watch Predator. As it is, their comeback begins exactly where the 2004 original ended, then forks into a tale of breadwinning women and the lower-key perils of stay-at-home fatherhood.

CLASSICAL BBC Proms

This year’s First Night strikes a serious note, with three musical responses to the end of the First World War, from Holst, Vaughan Williams, and a new piece by Anna Meredith inspired by telegrams sent home from the front. Royal Albert Hall, London SW7 (020 7070 4441), until Sept 8

FILM First Reformed

This scalding morality tale of a man of the cloth gone rogue (Ethan Hawke) is the best Paul Schrader project since his Scorsese-collaborating glory days. It’s the thinking cinema­goer’s thriller of the season.

JULY  14

OPERA Isabeau

Anne Sophie Duprels and David Butt Philip star in a forgotten melodrama by Mascagni (Cavalleria rusticana), loosely based on the hoary legend of naked Lady Godiva. Opera Holland Park, London W8 (0300 999 1000), until July 28

EXHIBITIONS Interior Worlds: Thomas Chippendale 

The 300th anniversary of the birth of the Yorkshire furniture maker is celebrated with magnificent Chippendale rooms at Nostell Priory, and a contemporary response at Hepworth Wakefield. Nostell Priory and Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorks (01924 863892), until Nov 4

POP Eminem

The American’s last UK stadium tour was beset by low production values – and it’s far from reassuring that this time he’s promising augmented reality. Yet Marshall Mathers remains one of the most compelling hip-hop stars ever to stalk a stage. Twickenham Stadium, Greater London (eminem.com), until July 15

EXHIBITIONS Liverpool Biennial 2018: Beautiful World, Where Are You?

Britain’s largest contemporary art festival marks its 20th anniversary with works by 40 artists from 22 countries, led by 90-year-old French filmmaker Agnès Varda. Various venues, Liverpool (0151 709 7444), until Oct 28 

JULY  15

JAZZ Fred Hersch Trio

American jazz pianist Fred Hersch’s style may be too complex and fastidious to win gongs (he’s been nominated for a Grammy 12 times but never actually won) but his only UK appearance with his trio this year is a major event. Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London W1 (020 7439 0747)

JULY  17

THEATRE Exit the King

Strong cast: including Rhys Ifans and Debra Gillett. Solid source material: Ionesco’s 1962 absurdist classic (Le Roi Se Meurt). Decent director: Patrick Marber. What could possibly go wrong? National’s Olivier Theatre, London SE1 (020 7452 3000), in rep

JULY  18

EXHIBITIONS Yves Klein

Famous for covering women in blue paint and dragging them over canvases, the French artist was also a judo expert. This is the most comprehensive British show to date for Klein, who died in 1962, aged just 34. Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire (01993 810530), until Oct 7

COMEDY Lost Voice Guy: Inspiration Porn

The 2018 Britain’s Got Talent winner, who has cerebral palsy and uses an iPad to deliver his gags, explains why he’s fed up with being used for internet “memes”. Quarry Theatre, Bedford (01234 362269), then touring

OPERA L’Ange de Nisida

Although much of its music was later incorporated into La Favorite, this is in effect the world premiere of an opera by Donizetti. Mark Elder conducts a cast led by the wonderful Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury. Royal Opera House, WC2 (0207 304 4000), until July 21

JULY  19

BOOKS Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival

Britain’s largest festival of crime fiction returns to Harrogate with Lee Child at the helm, and Val McDermid and Sophie Hannah among the speakers. harrogateinternationalfestivals.com, until July 22

OPERA Saul

The runaway hit production of Handel’s dramatic oratorio, flamboyantly directed by Barrie Kosky, returns with Allan Clayton and Iestyn Davies. Glyndebourne, near Lewes (01273 815000), until Aug 25

JULY  20

FILM Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!

All back to Meryl’s Grecian B&B for a second go-around on the Abba songbook, this time with retro flashbacks. Lily James is the fancy-free Young Streep, while Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and the rest return for more. There’s even a guest appearance by Cher, doing Fernando. My, my. How could we resist it?

THEATRE Othello

 Mark Rylance returns to his alma mater to play Iago, his wife Claire van Kampen directs and noted American actor André Holland (Moonlight, Selma) plays Othello. Shakespeare’s Globe, London SE1 (020 7401 9919), until Oct 13

JULY  25

FILM Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Six movies deep, Tom Cruise’s franchise clings to the formula of showing him dangle off cliff-faces or mid-air helicopters: goodness knows what the plot is, but who cares? Christopher McQuarrie is back to direct for a second time.

JULY  26

BOOKS Port Eliot Festival

Perhaps the most picturesque setting of all Britain’s festivals, the Capability Brown parkland in a bend of the river Tiddy offers food, live music and literary speakers from Viv Albertine and Robert Webb to Susie Boyt and Hollie McNish. porteliotfestival.com, until July 29 

TELEVISION Hang Ups

Stephen Mangan plays a therapist who conducts his sessions via webcam, with a dwindling list of patients (Richard E Grant, Jessica Hynes, David Tennant and Charles Dance) who present a catalogue of daft issues and concerns. Channel 4, exact date tbc

BOOKS CoDex 1962 by Sjón

The Icelandic novelist’s CoDex 1962, 25 years in the writing and simultaneously a love story, a crime thriller and a science fiction epic, is said to be his masterpiece. Its three parts, published in Sjón’s homeland in 1994, 2001 and 2016, come to anglophone readers in one volume, translated by Victoria Cribb. Sceptre, £18.99

DANCE Company Wayne McGregor – Autobiography

The Royal Ballet’s resident choreographer dusts off a 2017 piece inspired by both his childhood memories and an algorithm extrapolated from the sequencing of his entire genome. Too academic? Or the intellectual future of dance? You decide. Sadler’s Wells, London EC1 (020 7863 8000), until July 28

EXHIBITIONS Edinburgh Art Festival

New commissions range from a sound installation featuring the voices of 100 jailed poets to Marxist magic tricks. Exhibitions include a major show for the little-known Edwin G Lucas (1911-1990).  Various venues, Edinburgh (0131 226 6558), until Aug 26

POP Womad

With a line-up drawn from 104 countries, Womad brings the world to Wiltshire. This year’s star attractions include Malian couple Amadou & Mariam, Syria’s Omar Souleyman and Britain’s own art dance rockers Django Django. Charlton Park, Malmesbury, (womad.co.uk), until July 29

COMEDY Bug: David Bowie Special

An all-Bowie edition of Adam Buxton’s popular roadshow, in which the radio DJ dissects both music videos and the dim-witted comments they attract online. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (01227 787787)

THEATRE Sweet Charity

The Neil Simon-Cy Coleman-Dorothy Fields Sixties classic about a love-seeking dancer in New York contains such gems as Big Spender. Watermill Theatre, Newbury (01635 46044), until Sept 15

JULY  27

FILM Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation

In part three of the CG animated franchise, Adam Sandler’s Dracula takes a cruise, only to find the ship’s captain is a Van Helsing descendant who still practises the family trade.

EXHIBITIONS Lest We Forget

Works by Paul Nash, Stanley Spencer and John Singer Sargent provide the focus for a show on the ways we choose to remember war.  IWM North, Manchester (0161 836 4000), until Feb 24, 2019

TELEVISION Age Before Beauty

A six-part drama from Poldark writer Debbie Horsfield set in a down-at-heel family-owned salon in Manchester, with Sue Johnston, Robson Green and Polly Walker. BBC One, exact date tbc

JULY  28

CLASSICAL Three Choirs Festival 

Britain’s oldest music festival includes Elgar’s rarely heard Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf and a visionary choral work by John Ireland. Hereford Cathedral (01452 768928) until Aug 4

JULY 30

EXHIBITIONS Magic Realism: Art in Weimar Germany 1919-33

The catastrophic but heady world of the Weimar Republic is revisited through the searing satires of George Grosz and Otto Dix and other works from the Economou Collection, many showing in Britain for the first time. Tate Modern, London SE1 (020 7887 8888), until July 14, 2019

BOOKS Emily Brontë

On this day 200 years ago, Emily Brontë was born. Among the celebrations to mark the occasion, Kate Bush will write a piece about the author of Wuthering Heights, 40 years after her own single of the same name, to be engraved on an “Emily Stone” on the Yorkshire Moors and unveiled on July 7.

AUGUST 1

CLASSICAL Snape Proms

Suffolk’s month-long concert series rivals its London namesake in variety: the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra rubs shoulders with Irish folk and township jazz from the great Abdullah Ibrahim. Snape Maltings (01728 687110), until Aug 31 

AUGUST 2

THEATRE Aristocrats 

Lyndsey Turner directs Brian Friel’s rarely performed 1979 play about a family coming to terms with its aristocratic past. Donmar Warehouse, London WC2 (020 3282 3808), until Sept 22

TELEVISION Succession

Peep Show writer Jesse Armstrong, actor Will Ferrell and producer/director Adam McKay are behind this HBO dramedy about a super-wealthy family headed by a ruthless media mogul (Brian Cox). Sky Atlantic, exact date TBC

THEATRE Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain – Part Four

The latest instalment of the gross and surprisingly engrossing “best of the worst” of British history. Apollo Theatre, London W1 (0330 333 4809), until Sept 1

AUGUST 3

FILM The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales…

This trio of hand-drawn sylvan fables, a box-office hit in France last summer, will please British animation aficionados and subtitle-savvy children.

COMEDY Edinburgh Fringe

The world’s largest comedy festival still draws big names (Dylan Moran, Paul Merton), but the real must-sees are the rising talents, such as absurdist clown Natalie Palamides. Various venues (edfringe.com), until Aug 27

FILM Ant-Man and The Wasp

Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and his elevated sidekick The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) return in Peyton Reed’s sequel to his widely liked 2015 hit.

THEATRE Midsummer

A fresh revival of David Greig and Gordon McIntyre’s 2008 romcom about a failing car salesman and a high-powered divorce lawyer. The Hub, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000), until Aug 26

FILM Teen Titans Go! To The Movies

This spin-off from the uproariously odd Cartoon Network series sends up Hollywood’s ongoing fixation with superheroes. Expect rapid-fire weirdness and dance-offs.

THEATRE Little Shop of Horrors

Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s 1982 comedy horror musical about a florist who raises a plant that feeds on human flesh, in a suitably herbaceous setting. Open Air Theatre, London NW1 (0844 826 4242), until Sept 15

AUGUST 4

THEATRE The Merry Wives of Windsor

Fiona Laird directs David Troughton as Falstaff in Shakespeare’s proto-sitcom of suburban romantic ruses. RSC Stratford upon Avon (01789 403493), until Sept 22

AUGUST 5

JAZZ National Youth Jazz Youth Orchestra of the US 

Led by trumpeter and composer Sean Jones, the orchestra will play big-band music from Basie to now, with singer Dianne Reeves. Usher Hall, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000)

OPERA Vanessa

Emma Bell sings the title role in Samuel Barber’s bittersweet gothic romance in which a woman and her niece love the same man. Glyndebourne, near Lewes (01273 815000), until Aug 26

AUGUST 6

COMEDY The League of Gentlemen Live Again!

After last year’s return for their macabre BBC Two sitcom, the League go back to their live roots and take the grotesque characters of Royston Vasey on the road. Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple (01271 316063), then touring

AUGUST 8

THEATRE The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Free to watch – only an hour long – and a stone’s throw from Tower Bridge and the Bridge theatre. Directed by a doyen of this outdoor amphitheatre Phil Willmott. The Scoop, Queen’s Walk, London SE1; Wed-Sat 6pm; until Sept 2 

AUGUST 9

FILM Film4 Summer Screen

The annual outdoor film festival, hosted beneath the stars in Somerset House, kicks off with Glenn Close introducing The Wife, the film that might finally win her that elusive Oscar. somersethouse.org.uk, until Aug 22

POP Boomtown Fair

The sci-fi-themed festival celebrates its 10th year with an enticing bill including Gorillaz, Jimmy Cliff, Goldie and Soul II Soul. Matterley Estate, Winchester (boomtownfair.co.uk), until Aug 12

THEATRE Sense and Sensibility

Forced to relocate to Devonshire, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood learn to sound the depths (or otherwise) of their suitors in this fresh adaptation by Jessica Swale, staged at England’s most picturesque theatre. Theatre by the Lake, Keswick (01768 774411), until Oct 26

AUGUST 10

POP Nicki Minaj

The highly skilled, cheekily controversial leading lady of US hip hop releases her long-awaited fourth album, Queen. Released by Island Records

AUGUST 14

THEATRE Gangsta Granny

Buoyant adaptation of David Walliams’ bestselling book about a boy whose boredom at spending time with his gran turns to excitement after he discovers her secret life as a master criminal. Harold Pinter, London WC2 (0844 871 7627), until Aug 26 

AUGUST 16

DANCE Akram Khan – Xenos

Xenos (“foreigner” or “stranger”) promises to be the dancer-choreographer’s last solo show. Marking the end of the First World War, this astonishing piece is a tribute to the 4.5 million non-British soldiers who died fighting for Britain in the conflict. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000), until Aug 18

BOOKS Big Week by James Holland

After Burma ’44 and The War in the West, the latest in Holland’s sensationally successful Second World War histories is the account of a week in February 1944, when the combined Allied air forces in Britain and Italy launched their first-ever round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. Bantam, £20

OPERA The Beggar’s Opera 

Robert Carsen directs John Gay’s masterly satire of opera’s pretensions. William Christie conducts a charming score of folk tunes and street music. King’s Theatre, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000), until Aug 19

AUGUST 17

POP Britney Spears

Spears’s live career has been dogged by controversy about miming, yet the American pop superstar remains a huge attraction. She enhances her kitsch appeal with a flamboyantly styled show and a set-list of monster hits. Scarborough Open Air Theatre (britneyspears.com), then touring

TELEVISION Disenchantment

Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, brings us his first new show in 20 years. Drawn in a similar style to his earlier animations, this is a decidedly adult comedy series that follows an alcoholic medieval princess and her fairy-tale friends. Netflix

CLASSICAL Chetham’s International Piano Series

Chetham’s in Manchester is one of the world’s great specialist music schools, and promotes an annual piano festival, now housed in its own superb new concert hall. Stoller Hall, Manchester (stollerhall.com), until Aug 28

FILM Christopher Robin

Where Paddington led, other British children’s literary fauna now apparently must follow. So let’s press on past Peter Rabbit (ugh!) and look ahead to this Winnie-the-Pooh redo, in which the adult Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) reconnects with stuffed childhood chums. Directed by Marc “Finding Neverland” Forster.

AUGUST 18

CLASSICAL Scottish Chamber Orchestra 

Robin Ticciati, tousle-haired visionary young conductor, bids farewell to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the band he’s led since 2009, with performances of all four symphonies by Brahms. Usher Hall, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000), until Aug 19

AUGUST 20

THEATRE Me and My Girl

The most beautiful outdoor theatre in the UK, on the Cornish coast, plays host to this much-loved 1937 musical. The Minack’s summer season also includes Candide, Sweeney Todd and Wolf Hall. The Minack, Porthcurno, Cornwall (01736 810181), until Aug 24

AUGUST 21

CLASSICAL Arundel Festival

This year’s bill features an enticing concert series at the beautiful St Leonard’s Church. Masterpieces including Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Schubert’s Octet can be heard alongside music by Vivaldi, Beethoven and Weber. St Leonard’s Church, South Stoke, W Sussex (0333 666 3366), until Aug 27

AUGUST 24

FILM BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee blazes back to form with this rollicking true-life account of a black cop in Seventies Colorado (John David Washington), who infiltrated the KKK. Attacking the spectre of white supremacism in America, Lee thrusts his grievances through the letterbox of the current White House.

OPERA La Cenerentola 

Stefan Herheim directs a spectacular production of Rossini’s pumpkin-free Cinderella, with Michèle Losier in the title role. (Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, until Aug 26; 0131 473 2000)

FILM The Children Act

Emma Thompson plays a High Court judge tormented by a case involving a leukaemia patient, in Richard Eyre’s rendition of Ian McEwan’s 2014 novel. Ben Chaplin and Stanley Tucci co-star.

AUGUST 30

BOOKS 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

Would anyone have predicted, in 2011, that Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind would go on to sell a million copies, and retain a foothold in the bestseller chart seven years later, alongside its sequel, Homo Deus? His publishers will be hoping for a hat-trick with these essays on the big issues of the day: Brexit, big data and God. Jonathan Cape, £16.99

TELEVISION  Unforgotten

The ever-marvellous Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar return for a third series of this perpetually underrated cold case crime drama. Neil Morrissey and Alex Jennings join the cast as part of a close-knit group of pals who fall under scrutiny when the body of a long missing girl is found. ITV, exact date TBC

BOOKS The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Instead of her usual subject of 20th-century Britain, the author of the Regeneration trilogy turns to Greek mythology, to retell Homer’s Iliad from the point of view of Briseis, the slave girl given to Achilles as a prize of war. Hamish Hamilton, £18.99

TELEVISION Vanity Fair

The BBC has aired adaptations of Thackeray’s 1848 novel four times in the past, latterly in 1998. Now it’s ITV’s turn, with Olivia Cooke as Becky Sharp. Suranne Jones, Michael Palin, Frances de la Tour and Simon Russell Beale fill out the glittering supporting cast. ITV, exact date TBC

BOOKS The End: My Struggle VI by Karl Ove Knausgaard, tr Don Bartlett and Martin Aitken

Good news for anyone hooked on the Norwegian epic autobiography-cum-novel: the agonising two-year wait between the penultimate volume, Some Rain Must Fall, and this, the final instalment, is over. Harvill Secker, £25

AUGUST 31

TELEVISION Jack Ryan

The CIA agent created by Tom Clancy, and portrayed on screen by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine, is reborn for a new Amazon series. John Krasinski will test his action star mettle in the role. Amazon Prime

POP Anna Calvi

The startlingly inventive, Mercury-nominated British singer and guitarist returns with her third album, Hunter, tackling issues of gender identity. Calvi is a bold artist ready to take on the world. Released by Domino

EXHIBITIONS Spellbound

From exquisitely engraved rings designed to bind a lover to the wearer, to mummified cats hidden in walls, this exhibition examines our deep-seated and ongoing need to resort to magic, and its often disastrous consequences for women. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, until Jan 6; 01865 278112

FILM Cold War

Pawel Pawlikowski brings us a jazzily romantic companion piece to his Oscar-winning Ida, set in the Forties and Fifties. It uses folk music to map the shifting ambitions and amorous destinies of a Polish pianist and a young singer from peasant stock, whose careers send them bounding restlessly across Europe.

POP End of the Road Festival

The ever-charming conclusion of the festival season, End of the Road can be relied upon for a lovely setting and great music. This year’s eclectic line-up features cerebral American ensemble Vampire Weekend, sonic wonderwoman St Vincent and The Velvet Underground’s John Cale. Larmer Tree Gardens, Salisbury (endoftheroadfestival.com), until Sept 2