Alan Bennett's autobiographical collection of diaries, talks and occasional journalistic pieces, Writing Home (Faber & Faber, £7.99 in UK), is one of the wittiest and best written of the genre.

Since coming to prominence as a member of the revue team, Beyond the Fringe, in 1960, Bennett has established himself as one of Britain's leading playwrights. Not surprisingly, he has lots to say on contemporary literary figures such as John Osborne, Philip Larkin, W.H. Auden, John Gielgud, etc. Of the latter he comments on "the iron streak of tinsel that runs through his character". Delicious - and there's much more in similar vein in what is an extremely funny, revealing and poignant account of this literary Yorkshireman's life and times.