Books festival of the week: Manchester Literature Festival, various venues

Headline event: Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding

Lionel Shriver, Helen Fielding, Audrey Niffenegger, Iain Sinclair, Neil Gaiman and Walter Mosley are among the headline events at the festival, which this year features more than 70 events.

In the Literary Reputations strand, Ali Smith and Jackie Kay debate the legacy of Sylvia Plath and Louis de Bernières celebrates Barbara Pym.

Talking about their new novels are David Peace, Joanna Trollope, Patrick Ness, Sarah Dunant, Joanna Trollope and Roddy Doyle, while poetry comes from Moniza Alvi, CK Stead, Michael Hulse and Owen Sheers.

0843 208 0500; manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk, Monday to 20 October