Messrs Luke Haines, Cathal Coughlan and Andrew Mueller are currently chasing Hawkwind's hot air balloon to the Edinburgh Festival in search of the true history of Britain. Ben Graham investigates. Portraits by Al Overdrive
For two decades, Italian author Elena Ferrante maintained her privacy – until a recent article claimed to reveal her 'true' identity. Twenty-five years after the publication of her first novel, Lauren Strain considers the example that her fight for selfhood – and the struggles of the women in her novels – sets for us today. (Image from the film L'Amore Molesto, based on the novel)