Mike Ashma is the director of the NBR New Zealand Opera's production of the double-bill Cav & Pag opening in Auckland on September 15.

I was in two minds when it came to choosing The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon for my September feature read.

A terrible thing happened, that day, up at Blackwoods' place, in The Secret River, the first of Grenville's historical novels set in the penal colony of New South Wales.

Every city can lay claim to its fair share of eccentrics. This book is about one of Melbourne's: Edward William Cole.

This book might more accurately have been titled In Love With Dante. It is a wholehearted piece of advocacy for the 14th century writer, of whom Wilson says it "could be argued that he was the greatest of all European poets, of any time or place".

Why are we so enthralled by the pronouncements of the latter-day gurus of self-help, asks Alex Clark.

Through coincidence rather than design, there's a strong American influence in this month's Fiction Fix hotlist of new novels.

Only in Ireland could a half-forgotten route be named the Way of St Declan or the way of St Patrick's Cow.

The official Harry Potter website has let the first lot of fans into its online realm. Harriet Walker was one.

The force behind Soul Bar, Judith Tabron, marks its 10 year anniversary with the release of a new cookbook.

This was supposed to be the blog in which the author of There But For The answered all the questions that you so carefully crafted for her.

Nicky Pellegrino speaks to a man who sees a bright future for felony.

Theresa Healey is an Auckland-based actress who is in Auckland Theatre Company's production of Calendar Girls at The Civic.

Ian Wedde's new novel portrays a troubled food critic who creates a crisis.