Charlotte Randall is an award-winning New Zealand author whose novels reflect someone utterly in love with the potential of language.

Scarlett Thomas has penned a chatty, delightful easy read about friendship, love, and making those hard, life-defining choices.

For a "grown-up" morning news show, tune into TV3's Firstline, writes Deborah Hill Cone.

The 42 Indian musicians of The Manganiyar Seduction work their wiles in the glare of red and light-bulbs, piled up in a grid inspired by Amsterdam's red-light district.

Some marvellous images are being created at the Basement this Fringe, writes Janet McAllister

Martha Wainwright describes her look as "ageless" - she is poised on the stage dressed like a school-girl with hair all wispy like her grandmother's.

Maguy Marin's landmark work, celebrating 30 feted years of continuous performance, begins with the sculptured forms of its ten dancers, posed in dusty alabaster-like desertion.

Barnaby Weir has built such a strong brand for himself fronting his big bands Black Seeds and Fly My Pretties, that he had the confidence to drop the dub, the back-up and the moniker for his latest solo venture.

It's a dark and punishing trio of tracks at the centre of Tiki Taane's second solo album where he is at his fearsome best, writes Scott Kara

Enigmatic, engrossing and finally enchanting, the first film shot outside his native Iran by the acclaimed Kiarostami is a Rubik's cube of a movie, constantly changing appearance according to the angle of view.

First things first: this small, intense drama, a sort of anti-Valentine to love turned sour, is driven by two of the most authentic and passionate screen performances you'll see this year.

There is nothing trendy or conventional about this latest venture from Pirates of the Caribbean collaborators Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinksi.

The genesis of this startling first novel is already en route to becoming a New Zealand literary legend.

They may have swept us away with Handel and Purcell last week, but Lautten Compagney's Tuesday cocktail of Merula and Glass was altogether less enticing.

Teatro de Los Andes, based in Bolivia, offered to stage their "earthquake play" here instead of La Odisea, but were turned down for logistical reasons.

At first, this late-night one-man show from Australia looks like just a vehicle for a Mr Bean impersonator in younger, more alternative clothing.

The stage is dark with just the faint gleam of drum kit, sita, cello, violin and four seated musicians.

When the Basement theatre is packed out at 10pm on a Monday night for a local production based on a 19th century novella by Henry James, I think it is safe to say the Auckland Fringe Festival and the Auckland Arts Festival are going off.