Making Waves, by Mario Vargas Llosa (Faber & Faber, £9.99 in UK)

Maris Vargas Llosa is a very, very good writer indeed, and in this elegant, persuasive and passionate collection of essays he could convince the most determined flat-earth fanatic that the world is round: or vice versa. Whether he is writing about odd little corners of life as a literary exile, as in "Toby, Rest in Peace", a poignant look at the dog cemetery of Asnieres, or arguing for political dialogue in Nicaragua or the rehabilitation of Albert Camus, his lucidity is admirable; and when he's on the topic of his fellow South Americans and, in particular, the literature they have produced, he is unbeatable.A.W.Reviewers: Brian Fallon, Arminta Wallace