Cover Stories: Book-lovers' dating agency; celebrating Sebald

* Book lovers will hoping for that rare thing – a literary happy ending – when they sign up to the new dating website launched by Penguin. The site, which is run by match.com, is advertised in Penguin popular fiction titles and will ask questions about users' favourite books and authors, enabling literary lovers to choose a mate based on their preferences. According to a sly source at Penguin, one of the company's editorial assistants has already signed up and registered a profile, but will Penguin authors also get involved? As it happens, match.com's first wedding, in 2004, was between an actress and an author.

* The most influential author to come out of the UK in recent years wrote not in English but in German. Based at UEA in Norwich for 30 years, WG – Max – Sebald had by the time of his death in 2001 won an army of admirers for his exquisitely melancholic blend of fiction, memoir and history. Since then, the author of The Emigrants has taken his place as a global giant of modern prose. From 5-7 September, at UEA, guests such as Will Self, Adam Phillips and Max's translator, Anthea Bell, will join the first international conference devoted to his work.

More details from: www.uea.ac.uk/lit

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