Leonard Cohen

A Ballet of Lepers by Leonard Cohen review – intimations of immortality

A fascinating collection of early fiction foreshadows motifs and concerns that Cohen the performer later mined across decades

Tim Adams

03, Oct, 2022 @8:00 AM

A Ballet of Lepers by Leonard Cohen review – violent literary beginnings

A novella and short stories from the 1950s showcase Cohen’s fascinating self-fashioning, but also a taint of bitterness

Toby Litt

01, Oct, 2022 @6:30 AM

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song review – a thorough, respectful documentary

Contributions from John Cale, Judy Collins and more illuminate the singer-songwriter’s art through his best-known song

Xan Brooks

18, Sep, 2022 @11:30 AM

Hallelujah! Leonard Cohen’s almighty struggle with rejected song that became a classic

A new film tells the story of the song, written over 10 years with 180 versions

Richard Brooks

17, Sep, 2022 @12:09 PM

‘There’s a raw energy’: Hydra, artists’ haven, still casts its spell

The Greek island has attracted poets, writers and musicians for over 8o years, from Henry Miller to Leonard Cohen and Jeff Koons

Helena Smith in Hydra

07, Aug, 2022 @2:31 PM

From American Pie to All Too Well: the most debated lyric mysteries ever

Recent reveals over the meaning of Don McLean’s classic have shown once again how much fans love to turn detective when singers remain mysterious

Rob LeDonne

28, Jul, 2022 @4:01 PM

Death of a Ladies’ Man review – Gabriel Byrne charms in Philip Roth style dramedy

The Irish actor is compelling as a womanising professor who begins to realise his best days are over, with added Leonard Cohen

Cath Clarke

18, Jul, 2022 @2:00 PM

How the light gets in on the darkest days | Brief letters

Brief letters: Leonard Cohen’s Anthem | Champagne socialists | Betting on high blood pressure | Relatives at Wimbledon | Country diary’s play on words

03, Jul, 2022 @4:28 PM

The Guardian view on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah: praise be | Editorial

Editorial: Great anthems are not always the best songs but they play the important role of channelling communal emotions

Editorial

01, Jul, 2022 @5:03 PM

‘More than a song’: the enduring power of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah

In a new documentary, fans and experts explore the legacy of a song that was originally shunned before becoming a timeless classic

Rob LeDonne

29, Jun, 2022 @6:19 AM

Leonard Cohen: previously unpublished novel to be released in autumn

Written in 1956, A Ballet of Lepers will be published alongside other short fiction and a radio play from Cohen’s early career

Laura Snapes

24, Feb, 2022 @3:00 PM

Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius review – the God behind the guy

Harry Freedman’s examination of how the musician’s spiritual life shaped his songs is rich in detail if a little too earnest in its quest for enlightenment