SIX PARTICULAR REASONS FOR BOOKLOVERS TO BUY THE NZ LISTENER THIS WEEK

1.Three page story on Christos Tsiolkas and his new book, The Slap. Tsiolkas is appearing at the Aucklkand Writers & Readers Festival 14-17 May.

2.Two page story on US writer & columnist James Surowiecki and his new book, The Wisdom of Crowds:Why the Many are Smarter Than the Few. Surowiecki is appearing at the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival, 14-17 May.

3. An excellent three page review by Wellington writer John McCrystal of the just published The Double Rainbow by John Newton (VUP), and James K Baxter Poems selected & introduced by Sam Hunt to be published by AUP 10 June.

4.Reviews of Mother's Day by Laurence Fearnley, Child 44, and The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith, and Land of Marvels by Barry Unsworth.

5.Cultural Curmudgeon Hamish Keith with more on the vexed question of the National Library.

6.Author David Hill on book dedications and the Bloomsbury Book of Dedications.

And for those who are foodies as well as booklovers then there is Martin Bosley on those divine figs, and of course Michael Cooper on wine.