Rushdie's comeback...

His books have been the source of religious controversy, uprisings, and even death threats, yet Salman Rushdie's latest novel is inspired by seemingly innocuous video games. Comparing the written and computer generated formats, Rushdie said, 'video games are often based on a classical quest format. That fits well with a fable. The book is about the value of life, and in video games you can have a thousand lives. So I contrasted those two things'. However, although he enjoyed writing children's books, Rushdie is clear that it is something he does not want to pursue full time. 'Luka and the Fire of Life', a present for his 13-year-old son, was published last week. Here is an interview about the new release.

Blair and the Prince of Darkness...

With the spate of political memoirs following the recent general election, it is of little surprise that the infighting is getting as bitter on the page as it was in the House. Peter Mandelson made headlines over the weekend with the release of 'The Third Man', an account of New Labour's rise to power, liberally portraying his own part in the historic political movement. However, this seems to have somewhat trodden on the toes of another former Labour mastermind.  

Tony Blair, who had signed a reported £4.6 million deal for his book, has been forced to change the title from 'The Journey' to 'A Journey'. It may only seem like a minor detail, yet he is apparently trying to make his book appear less self-important, 'less messianic'. Nevertheless, behind the scenes, such worries over self-aggrandisment seem to not exist, as Blair reportedly phoned Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Mandelson's publisher, to try and persuade them to hold of publication as it would detract from his own book. All might be fair in love and war, but in politics, nothing ever seems fair.

The time of the octogenarian...

82-year-old grandmother Myrrha Stanford-Smith, is celebrating today after she landed herself a book deal for her debut novel. 'The Great Lie', set to be part of a trilogy, details the account of a young Elizabethan runaway Nick Talbot and his subsequent adventures with rivals Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare.

The 'gobsmacked' writer says her novel now lies in 'pride of place' next to her favourite authors on her bookshelf at home, careful to leave a space for the next two to come. Stanford-Smith, who attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama has founded the Ucheldre Repertory Company, and will be directing a production of 'Richard III' in the autumn. Here is a interview with the author.

Philip K Dick's journals to be released...

The journals of popular sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick, are to be published next year. Titled, 'The Exegesis', the journals contain descriptions of 'visions and auditions' he said that he experienced. The writer, who died at the age of 53 in 1982, was famous for such works as 'The Man in the High Castle' and 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'. His novels also provided the basis for many successful films, including 'Blade Runner', 'Total Recall', and 'Minority Report'. The journals will be released in autumn 2011.

Avast ye! Andrew Motion writes Treasure Island sequel...

Former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion is set to write a sequel to 'Treasure Island'. The Robert Louis Stevenson original was published in 1883, and feature characters, such as Long John Silver, who are now household names. The perhaps predictably named 'Return to Treasure Island', will be full of the same 'adventure, excitement and pathos', and is due for release in 2012. Following several attempts at both prequels and sequels over the years, Motion's publisher believes this will be the best yet, calling it a work 'literary ventriloquism'. 'Anyone who loved Stevenson's original will fall on this book with cries of delight'

This above all: to thine own self be true...

April 1st will see the release of a new book, sure to rouse literary discussion. James Shapiro's 'Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?', attempts to answer the century old question as to the 'real' identity of the mysterious bard. Advocates of the 'anti-Stratfordian' theory have included Mark Twain, Sigmund Freud and Charlie Chaplin, yet those whom they believe instead to be the playwright are an even more bizarre collection of people.

Christopher Marlowe, Sir Francis Bacon, Edward De Vere, Sir Walter Raleigh, John Donne, and, in quarters Elizabeth I, are all mentioned as possible writers, yet evidence is tenuous to say the least. Although all options are neatly summarised in Shapiro's latest contribution, perhaps it is best summed up by the name of one of the most prominent anti-Stratfordians - John Thomas Looney.

New book Solar out of this world...

Thursday sees the release of Ian McEwan's new novel 'Solar'. His first work since 'For You: A Liberetto' in 2008, 'Solar' shows a 'fresh side' to McEwan as a 'comic writer of genius'. This latest book surrounds the theory of climate change and is partly based on McEwan's experiences on his own trip to the North Pole. To publicise the novel, McEwan appeared on Andrew Marr's program on Sunday. A clip can be seen here

Posthumous pirates...

The first posthumous novel by author Michael Crichton, is set to be published this week. 'Pirate Latitudes', was discovered as a complete manuscript on Crichton's computer soon after his death in 2008, and centres on piracy in Jamaica in the late 17th century. Steven Spielberg has already signed a deal to adapt the novel for film. Another script, only a third complete, was found on Crichton's computer. A writer is to be selected to finished the 'techno-thriller' and it will be published in Autumn next year. Born in 1942, Crichton has been one of the few writers who is genuinely successful across the media; becoming the first creative artist to have works at number one simultaneously in television, film and book sales - ER, Jurassic Park and Diclosure respectively. The 6'9" author, has seen his novels translated into 36 different languages, over 150 million copies of his books sold and 13 of his works turned into films. Other famous titles include, 'The Andromeda Strain', 'Rising Sun', and 'The Great Train Robbery'.

Pi fight...

Pubilshers Canongate have announced the details of a new novel by author Yann Martel. Canandian-born Martel won the Man Booker Prize in 2002 for 'Life of Pi'; a novel which focused on issues of survival and spirituality and is one of the most successful Booker winners to date. His new novel, 'Beatrice and Virgil', will centre around the Holocaust, asking 'profound and philosophical questions about the nature of love and evil'. The title characters' names derive from Dante's 'The Divine Comedy', Virgil being the guide through hell, and Beatrice heaven. The novel is due to be released in June 2010.