Emerald Fennell: my six best books
The actress and writer chooses her favourite books, from Jane Austen to Nick Cave

Justine Picardie’s new book, Miss Dior (Faber £25) – about the designer’s sister, a heroine of the Resistance – is out now.
Paris Was Yesterday by Janet Flanner (1934)
Flanner began writing her “Letter from Paris” for The New Yorker in 1925, and this anthology takes the reader up to the outbreak of the War in 1939. I first read Flanner while researching my biography of Coco Chanel, and when I was writing Miss Dior, I immersed myself yet again in these evocative vignettes of Paris, the city of light in its golden years between two World Wars. Virago £10.99
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Dior by Dior by Christian Dior (1956)
Christian Dior wrote his masterly memoir the year before his death from a heart attack at the age of 52, when he was still at the height of his fame. This English translation by Antonia Fraser appeared in 1957, and it captures his inimitable voice with panache and style. V&A £8.99
Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba (2016)
A gripping account of the German Occupation of Paris, seen through the eyes of dozens of different women – whether they chose to collaborate with the Nazis, to risk their lives in the cause of the Resistance, or decided simply to keep their heads down, in the daily struggle to survive. W&N, £9.99
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Paris After the Liberation by Antony Beevor & Artemis Cooper (1994)
A remarkable tapestry of history that draws together the tumultuous period from 1944 to 1949, in the aftermath of the Occupation. We’re whisked between couture salons and communist gatherings by two authors who make the liveliest of guides. Penguin £10.99
A Life in Secrets by Sarah Helm (2005)
During the Second World War, 41 female agents were sent by Britain’s Special Operations Executive to operate behind enemy lines in France. This book traces the story of 12 young women who did not return from their missions, and the ensuing search to discover their fate in German concentration camps. Abacus £10.99
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: March 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Roast lamb shoulder with ginger and fresh turmeric recipe
The Week Recommends Succulent and tender and falls off the bone with ease
By The Week UK Published
-
Adolescence and the toxic online world: what's the solution?
Talking Point The hit Netflix show is a window into the manosphere, red pills and incels
By The Week Staff Published
-
Snow White: Disney's 'earnest effort to meet an impossible brief'
Talking Point Live-action remake of Disney classic is not the disaster it could have been – but where's the personality?
By The Week UK Published
-
Don McCullin picks his favourite books
The Week Recommends The photojournalist shares works by Daniel Defoe, Lesley Blanch and Roland Philipps
By The Week UK Published
-
6 breathtaking homes in capital cities
Feature Featuring a glass conservatory in Atlanta and a loft library in Boston
By The Week US Published
-
Playhouse Creatures: 'dream-like' play is 'lively, funny and sharp-witted'
Anna Chancellor offers a 'glinting performance' alongside a 'strong' supporting cast
By The Week UK Published
-
The CIA Book Club: 'entertaining and vivid' book explores a huge Cold War secret
The Week Recommends 'Gripping' narrative explores a covert smuggling operation across the Iron Curtain
By The Week UK Published