Culture to cheer you up during the second lockdown: part one

As parts of the UK enters another month – at least – of being stuck indoors, our critics pick out top music, games, books, TV, dance and art fixes to lift your spirits

What’s the upside of winter? The bright side to all those dark months

Whether its country walks, wild swimming or staying cosy at home, winter can be as enjoyable as any other time

Chrissy Teigen describes losing baby in heartbreaking detail: ‘Utter and complete sadness’

Model and author thanks strangers for reaching out – and hits back at those who accused her of oversharing about pregnancy loss

In brief: Solo; The Forger’s Daughter; Little Weirds – reviews

A timely guide to happy home-working, a literary thriller and a comedian’s exuberant essay collection are all worth your time

Chris Hoy: ‘I had no natural ability as a cyclist!’

The Olympic hero has written Be Amazing, an inspirational book for children that reveals how they too can be champions, with help from Stoic philosophy, sports psychology – and Beyoncé

Love Island’s Ovie Soko: ‘It takes guts to live by your internal compass’

The TV show fan favourite who won hearts with his self-possession and sound advice has written a self-help book. How can we be more ‘dope’?

Alan Arkin on Hollywood success: ‘I was miserable pretty much all of the time’

In his mid-30s, the actor was living the dream, but was far from happy. As he publishes his memoir Out of My Mind, he talks about turning his life around – and the disgraced guru he pinned his hopes on

Meg Mathews: ‘I feared my colourful 90s life had caught up with me’

She felt anxious, depressed and overwhelmed, until she realised it was the menopause, writes Sophie Heawood. Now Meg Mathews is on a mission to get women talking about it without shame

Failosophy by Elizabeth Day review – the feel-good ‘failing-well’ industry

‘Look at me now!’ Elizabeth Day is a witty, likable writer, but can failure always be turned into a positive?

‘I worked in horror films. Now I’m an undertaker’: arts workers who had to find new jobs

A DJ turned shaman, a lighting designer turned railwayman, a dancer turned gayrobicist … as the government causes fury with a ballerina job ad, we meet workers forced to retrain due to Covid