In her latest novel, Fay Weldon has channelled her childhood experiences in New Zealand and some mischievous Maori ghosts. She spoke to Stephen Jewell.

Dirty But Clean is back with the third novel in what could be loosely termed his "Poor White Trash" trilogy. His first, the fresh and adventurous Vernon God Little, rocketed him to overnight fame and Booker Prize stardom.

Viva chats exclusively to Isabella Blow's former husband, Detmar, the author of a new book about the once-fabulous fashion icon.

Isabella Blow, the fashion stylist with a penchant for loony hats and a talent for discovering the Next Big Thing, died on May 7, 2007, at the age of 48, having drunk a quantity of the weedkiller Paraquat.

Poetry usually arrives in the form of the traditional "slim volume" - elegant packages of 40-80 pages, like smoked salmon slices. By contrast, 99 Ways into New Zealand Poetry, all 624 pages of it, landed on my desk with a thump.

Paula Green tells Linda Herrick about a cancer diagnosis which led to a renaissance of writing.

This book is the sort of journey it's great to read about from the comfort of your armchair.

With both The Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things behind him, Carl Barat has taken the cathartic step of writing a book.

Golden romance true to history.

How chick-flick Eat, Pray, Love sold out to the forces of materialism. By Guy Adams.

Put on trial and found wanting.

Hal Herzog, one of America's foremost psychologists, is dedicated to understanding our often contradictory behaviour towards different species.

Environmental artist Martin Hill says he tends to get more pleasure from personal experiences than from tangible objects.

A book about the war in Afghanistan reveals details of the activities of New Zealand intelligence teams there.

Portraits of loneliness.

Australian thriller writer Michael Robotham talks to Craig Sisterson about the importance of making characters seem real.