`I should not be here to tell this story." The opening sentence of Ariel Dorfman's recent autobiography encapsulates his life: his multiple escapes from death in Chile during the coup in 1973 and his compulsion to revisit his homeland in his imagination, through novels, poetry and plays - in a foreign language: English. Heading South, Looking North is a moving, unsparing examination of cultural identity and the condition of exile, which together with his latest novel, The Nanny and the Iceberg, should ensure capacity audiences for Dorfman's reading at next week's Belfast Literary Festival.

Now in its second year, Between The Lines '99 (March 18th-28th) is organised by the Crescent Arts Centre and has an impressive line-up. Guests include Hugo Hamilton, Colm O'Gaora, Philip Casey, John F. Deane, Edwina Currie, Ken Loach's regular screenwriter, Paul Laverty, as well as crime writers: Stella Duffy, Vincent Banville and Irish Times journalist, Eugene McEldowney. Participants willl pay tribute to the late Brian Moore on Saturday, March 27th and on Wednesday, March 24th, the vexed question of the linguistic status of Ulster Scots will be discussed. (Further information on the festival is available from: 01232-248338.)

On the subject of Belfast, it doesn't bode well for November's Belfast Festival at Queen's that Sean Doran's replacement as Programming Director has yet to be named.