Goodness gracious me, the Auckland Readers and Writers Festival 2005 (19th–22nd May) has scored Alan Hollinghurst, thank you very much. His book The Line of Beauty was the controversial winner of the Man Booker Prize this year. Mind you, sales have reportedly been slightly disappointing and he himself was allegedly ‘completely Bookered’ for a while by the whole shenanigan, so pr’aps he’s popping downunder for a spot of peace and quiet.

Well he won’t find it here. It’s going to be mayhem and that mayhem’s going to be at the swanky Hilton down at Princes Wharf, with extra events at Float Bar or the Maritime Museum. There’s Mark Kurlansky, whose best-seller Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World I haven’t actually read – yet, and had to look up, and there’s Augusten Burroughs who is apparently one of the ‘15 funniest people in America’ according to Entertainment Weekly. He has a new collection of short stories called Magical Thinking out in January – his book Running with Scissors was hot on the New York Times bestseller list for over 70 weeks…

There’re some Aussies – explorer Tim Flannery and foodie Maggie Beer are coming, and the New Zealand contingent will include Patricia Grace, Witi Ihimaera, Annamarie Jagose and Anne Salmond. Phwoar, eh? There will be some pre-festival activities too, Patricia Grace, for example, talking with Nigerian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose Orange Prize shortlisted first novel Purple Hibiscus was compared with The God of Small Things. That’s on March 4. Writing workshops will be announced soonish, and the full listing of writers and other happenings will be out there on Thursday 24 March 2005. Tickets go on sale from Friday 8 April 2005. Keep an eye on the site or watch this space.