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Elly Griffiths is on the longlist for the Crime Writer's Association Dagger in the Library Award. The list of 16 also features C.J. Sansom, Peter James and Susan Hill. The CWA Dagger Awards celebrate the very best in crime and thriller writing, and are the longest established literary awards in the UK. These premier awards in crime fiction are recognised internationally as a mark of excellence. The Dagger in the Library is distinct in that it is given for the author's body of work, not an individual title. Authors are nominated for the prize by library users, with the winner chosen by a panel of librarians. Previous winners include Alexander McCall Smith, Jake Arnott and Craig Russell. The shortlist will be announced at Crimefest on May 20th, with this year's winner unveiled during the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, on the evening of July 22nd. For more information please click here.

As the clocks go forward and the sun comes out Robert Penn celebrates the arrival of Spring in this week?s Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/27/spring-wildlife-black-mountains-wales.

Fran Abrams? latest report for Radio 4?s 'File on 4' programme, Egypt's Missing Millions, is a fascinating exploration of corruption in Mubarak's Egypt. Visit the Radio 4 website where you can listen to the broadcast, download the podcast, or read the transcript. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zf202

This week Jasper Fforde's latest installment of the Thursday Next series, One of our Thursdays is Missing, is number one in the Sunday Times Bestseller list. Follow Jasper every step of the way on his current UK/US book tour by reading his brilliant blog: http://www.jasperfforde.com/more/2011tourblog.html

What would happen if we made contact with an alien civilisation? If you had to speak to aliens on behalf of humanity what would you say? Lucy Hawking, as part of the Arizona State University's 'Origins' project, invites you to join in the dicussion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN7PhzqIUJQ Follow this link to post your 'Dear Aliens...' missives: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/message-from-dot-earth-dear-aliens/

All this week the Guardian is offering a free download of the fantastic Hornets' Nest Dr Who audio series, written by Paul Magrs and narrated by the fourth doctor, Tom Baker. For more information visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/competition/2011/feb/15/doctorwho

Download the brilliant new iphone/ipad app for Jasper Fforde's latest children's novel The Last Dragon Slayer for a whole new reading experience. Your week-by-week guide to who's who and what's what and where's where in the wonderful world of The Last Dragon Slayer plus exclusive access to the unabridged audio book. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/dragonslayer/id399761035?mt=8

Agent Claire Paterson flew out to India to attend The Jaipur Literature Festival where Alex Bellos joined the likes of Orphan Pamuk and Vikram Seth as a guest speaker. During their stay, Alex and Claire took time out to visit Jantar Mantar Astronomy Park in Jaipur, where a guide (with more than a little help from Alex!) explained the complexities of longitude and latitude.

Last week The Crossing Places was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award at this year?s Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards. This follows her shortlisting for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Award in the UK in 2010. Meanwhile, The House at Sea's End, the much anticipated third title in Elly?s Ruth Galloway series, has been published this month by Quercus and is already following in the success of its predecessors.

?The Self-help Book to End All Self-help Books?? - The Guardian This month Canongate published a collection of columns from Oliver Burkeman?s highly acclaimed weekly psychology feature for the Guardian This Column Will Change Your Life. Help!: How to Become Slightly Happier, and Get a Bit More Done is a witty and thought-provoking exploration that punctures many of self-help?s most popular myths, while also offering clear-headed, practical and often counterintuitive advice on a range of subjects, from stress, procrastination and insomnia to wealth, laughter, time management and creativity. It doesn?t claim to have solved the problem of human happiness. But it might just bring us one step closer. Follow this Amazon link to download the first chapter for FREE! http://www.amazon.co.uk/HELP-Become-Slightly-Happier-More/dp/B004FN1QDS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A3TVV12T0I6NSM&qid=1297349038&sr=8-1

Described by the Times as ?A moral work of real intelligence and power? Sunjeev Sahota's debut novel, Ours Are The Streets, is receiving blanket review coverage. The author was the only novelist selected by the Observer in its feature on the six most exciting artistic debuts of 2011. ?Extraordinary. With unnerving control, Sahota casts us into the tormented mind of his narrator, Imtiaz, a second-generation immigrant who marries (and has a child with) an English woman before embracing extremism on a visit to Kashmir. Sahota avoids many of the clich?s of radicalisation - he presents Imtiaz as spurred less by religious conviction than a desperate desire to belong - and the narrative contains many beautiful, well-honed images.? - Will Skidelsky, the Observer