The Beijing Olympic Games start on August 8th. We focus on Canterbury Olympians past and present and controversies at the Beijing Olympics. There are also a multitude of Olympics related web sites to explore to get into the Olympic spirit.

The winners of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards were announced on 21 July. Find out more about the books that gained acclaim from the judges and the public.

Indian fiction enjoyed huge popularity since the late 1990s. The exotic appeal of a traditional Indian lifestyle in tandem with the challenges faced by Indians in new societies like America has provided many a plot. See our guide to Indian, Pakistani and South Asian authors.