Wow, what a feast of literary lusciousness The Press Christchurch Writers’ Festival, (aka Books and Beyond) has lined up for us this September. Hardly know where to start …

The festival (Monday 30 August to Sunday 5 September) has moved from its home at the Arts Centre; this year most events will be held at Rydges Hotel in the city centre, beside the Avon river and just along from all the bars and delectable eateries. There will also be events held at ‘Our City’, the historic Municipal Council Chambers.

First up, the Read Aloud schools programme, special library events and a series of workshops for aspiring writers and illustrators will be held from Monday 30 August to Thursday 2 September at the University of Canterbury’s Ngaio Marsh Theatre. From the 3rd onwards, new director Reima Goldsmith has put together a serious lineup.

On Friday, for example, we have an hour with Claudia Orange and the Treaty of Waitangi; poetry for lunch with Glenn Colquhoun, Kevin Ireland, Michele Leggott et al poetry with your pie; and the evening’s entertainment comes with ‘a lively discussion to remember Michael King – with Geoff Walker, Gordon McLauchlan, Claudia Orange and John Tamihere.’

Saturday boasts ‘a feast of women’s fiction’ with Fiona Farrell, Charlotte Randall, Catherine Chidgey, Jenny Pattrick and Joan London; also there’s an hour with Lynne Truss, paramour de punctuation; essay writing with Glenn Colquhoun, Margaret Mahy, Vincent O’Sullivan and Lloyd Jones; and blimey, Keri Hulme, launching her short stories! Feeling quite faint but I suppose I should mention, for the thriller-hounds amongst you, that Frederick Forsyth is on that evening.

And Sunday, well, we have Vincent O’Sullivan with a formidable team of biographers; Maori writers with Keri Hulme, James George and Kelly Ana Morey; cartoonists Michael Leunig, (anyone else remember tar boy? used to make me laugh till I nearly threw up) Garrick Tremain, Tom Scott, Trace Hodgson; and there’s a tribute to Janet Frame with Lawrence Jones and Owen Marshall and Cathy Downes.

This is just a taste of what’s on offer, so check out the full listing at the Book Council website or for more information, contact Reima Goldsmith at booksandbeyond@xtra.co.nz, or call the festival line on 03 358-0740.