It sounds like a feel-good movie plot, but it's for real. Every two years, the tiny Far North township of Rawene (pop. 462) presents the Rawene Book Festival. More than one hundred people gathered in the Town Hall for 2001 bash, and rumours suggest that this year's event could be even bigger.

The focus is on local authors, with Mona Anderson (Home is the High Country) first up on stage. Two new books will be launched: Two Lost Threads by 87-year old Iris Nolan, Reed's "Oldest Living Writer", and Beneath the Surf by Julia Owen. And we'll get the chance to hear a talk by historian Don Stafford, author of the award-winning tribal history, Te Arawa and sometime Rotorua guide for American tourists.

The Festival runs on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 November. For more details, contact Janine McVeagh on (09) 405-7529, jmcveagh@clear.net.nz, or Beth Austin, (09) 434-0227, bethau@free.net.nz.