The Bookseller tells me that:

Mills & Boon has launched a survey alongside the Cheltenham Literature Festival to uncover the identity of the nation's favourite literary hero.

Voters can chose from ten leading men, from Emily Bronte's Heathcliff to Henry DeTamble of Niffenegger's Time Traveler's Wife. The two Mr Darcys -- one the creation of Jane Austen, the other the love interest of Bridget Jones -- also feature in among the selection.

The winner will be announced at the Mills & Boon's Literary Heroes event, which will be held at this year's Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. The audience will be served pink champagne while a panel of women, including authors Stella Duffy, Katie Fforde, discuss their favourite leading men and what makes an unforgettable literary hero.

To vote go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/literaryheroes.

The full list of literary heroes is as follows:

• Richard Sharpe -- Sharpe by Bernard Cornwall
• Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy -- Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Mr Mark Darcy -- Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
• Mr Rochester -- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Rupert Campbell Black -- Rutshire Chronicles by Jilly Cooper
• Rhett Butler -- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• Heathcliff -- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Captain Corelli -- Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
• Henry DeTamble -- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• Gabriel Oak -- Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

 

The Brooklyn Book Festival happens this coming Sunday:

The Brooklyn Book Festival is a huge, free public event presenting an array of literary stars and emerging authors who represent the exciting world of literature today. One of America's premier literary and literacy events, this hip, smart, diverse gathering attracts thousands of book lovers of all ages. The festival is organized around themed readings and devoted to timely and lively panel discussions. The inclusion of top national and international authors and new partners has expanded the festival's reach while continuing to celebrate and enhance Brooklyn's contemporary and historic literary reputation.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown opened the 25th Anniversary Edinburgh International Book Festival on Saturday. Held in the Charlotte Square Gardens, just off the West end of Princes Street, the event runs this year from 9 - 25 August. Calling itself "the world's biggest public celebration of the written word", the Book Festival hosts a "concentrated flurry of cultural and political talks and debates, along with its well-established children's events programme... offering 750 events featuring over 800 authors this year, from the profound to the light-hearted there truly is something for every taste and age."

Advance information about the Bath Festival of Children's Literature (via the Bookseller):

Authors including Michael Rosen, Michael Morpurgo, Meg Cabot and Charlie Higson will be appearing at this autumn's Bath Festival of Children's Literature. The inaugural festival in 2007 reached around 20,000 children and families. There will be about 150 events at the festival this year, which runs from 19th to 28th September, including 88 public events and more schools-based activities. The festival will also include more for younger children. "Last year the events were weighted towards fiction for eight to 12-year-olds but we had requests for more events for younger children, so will be providing those this year," said joint festival organiser Gill McLay. One of the biggest will be a Funtastic musical event for toddlers based on Templar's Amazing Baby series. The festival is also holding an event with Annette and Nick Butterworth in Bristol the prior weekend, to attract more visitors from Bristol to the Bath event.

As I've mentioned before, 2008 is the National Year of Reading, but it has only recently started hotting up (January to March was a "planning period", and it is only this month