Swiss writer Joel Dicker’s literary crime novel has taken Europe by storm. Now it’s out in English, and may be the creepiest, cleverest book you’ll read all year.

Michael Cunningham is a writer who mostly polarises readers. Those who love him really love him, for his articulation of the most subtle of human feeling and thought in exquisite language, while others find him laboured and pretentious.

Graeme Lay's sequel to his best-selling novel, The Secret Life of James Cook, wisely follows the same approach as before.

Vincent O’Sullivan, the New Zealand Poet Laureate, has written numerous collections of poetry, short stories, plays and critical works.

New Zealand foodies have taken out culinary royalty like Jamie Oliver, Neil Perry and Oprah Winfrey's personal chef to win at the world's biggest cookbook awards.

Students' needs increasingly met online but printed books still seen as key

Three Australians – cartoonist Michael Leunig, writer John Marsden and artist Rod Moss – chewed over the question of whether their homeland is “The Lucky Country”.

What a treat to see Scottish writer Alexander McCall Smith in his packed-out Saturday session.

Perky Cambridge-based explorer and historian Huw Lewis-Jones blew some much-needed levity into the day.

Dutch historian Frank Dikotter, based in Hong Kong, has spent year immersed in the horrors to be found within China’s open archives.

Nicky Pellegrino is delighted by all the quirky characters in this Kiwi novel.

Jayne Anne Phillips was first told about Harry Powers when she was a child.

Eleanor Catton correctly picked John Campbell's star sign backstage before stepping out in front of a record-breaking crowd last night at the Auckland Writers Festival.

Danielle Wright talks to the talented folk behind the brand new Family Day at the Auckland Writers Festival.

In her second short story collection, her first in 15 years, Lorrie Moore peels back life’s outer layer and reveals what lies within.

If writers are rock stars, "this man beside me is Johnny Rotten", said Noelle McCarthy by way of sassy introduction of Irvine Welsh last night at the Auckland Writers Festival.

Writer Elizabeth Knox was yesterday awarded a $100,000 grant to write a memoir based on her experiences of violent death and illness in her family - a timely note to kick off the Auckland Writers Festival.

Writer Sandi Toksvig says that full-body exercise has helped to turn her life around.

An author is set to claim his father is the murderer known as the Zodiac killer - one of the most notorious and still-at-large criminals in the US.

In a Canvas exclusive, Eleanor Catton talks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili about physics, life, the universe and everything.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Colour Purple, Alice Walker, talks to Margie Thomson about the state of American politics, poetry — the lifeblood of rebellion and the richness of a life connected with nature.