The two floors of Antwerp Expo are taken up by the stands of publishers and booksellers, as well as events. The fair's partners, which include Antwerp province and city, Radio 1 and Canvas, Knack, Base, KBC and Duvel, will also be present.

The programme is too huge to give more than just a flavour, but highlights include debates and discussions with authors, a special programme for schools, events aimed at attracting readers of immigrant origin and cookery demonstrations. Authors like Rik Torfs, Peter Holvoet-Hanssen and Elvis Peeters will be on hand to give budding writers advice on their craft. Two stands, run by BeBook and Sony, will give book fans the chance to try out e-readers.

The list of visiting authors also includes ex-art fraudster Stan Lauryssens, former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, psychologist Peter Adriaenssens, Archbishop André Léonard, and whisky expert Dirk De Mesmaeker.

There's an international aspect, with visits from crime writers Donna Leon and Scott Turow, Pulitzer
Prize winner Michael Cunningham, historian James Hannam and poet Christopher Middleton, as well as Rwandan refugee Marguarita Singe and American graphic novel artist Charles Burns.

The rail authority NMBS and Flemish public transport authority DeLijn are offering combi-tickets for visitors to the Boekenbeurs which is open from 31 October to 11 November daily from 10.00 to 18.00, with late-night openings until 22.00 on 4 and 9 November. Entry is €8 for adults and €6 for children, students, teachers, the disabled and seniors over 60. Children under 11 enter for free.

boekenbeurs.tickoweb.be

Saskia De Coster
Dit is van mij (Prometheus)
Saskia De Coster (above) is one of Flanders' leading young novelists, and her fifth novel is the story of Jakob, hopelessly in love with Jade, and his attempt to have done with his toxic obsession. "Among literary writers it's quite the thing to look down on the commercial circus of the Book Fair," she says. "But I find it fun to come face to face with the market gurus and those book- fiends who buy their books by the cubic metre".

Annemie Bulté
Niet schieten, dat is mijn papa! (Vrijdag Uitgeverij)
David Van de Steen was interviewed by detectives investigating a series of murderous attacks by gangsters (the infamous Bende van Nijvel) on supermarkets, but not until 25 years after a raid in Aalst, in which his parents and sister were murdered. This book is the story of a survivor of an attack by a gang of killers still at large, as told to Annemie Bulté, veteran crime reporter now with Flemish magazine Humo.

Annelies Vanbelle
Bitterzoet (Van Halewyck)
Vanbelle, formerly known as Rafaela in the weekend supplement of De Morgen, writes "sentence images and love-notes" about sex, relationships and love, but has recently moved away from her more, shall we say, carnal side. "At the Book Fair, I'll still try to create a sort of intimacy by thinking up a lovely dedication for everyone. And my reading on 2 November I hope to turn into something personal and intimate."

Fleur Pierets
La maîtresse du pirate (VBK België)
A collection of short stories by a stylish dominatrix. Subtitled Stories from the cabinet of lust, these may be for adults only. "People laughed at me when I said SM was one of the highest forms of romanticism there is, but I'm convinced it's true," she says. The Victorians, of course, would have agreed.

Boekenbeurs in figures
110
stands spread over 20,000 square metres of exhibition space in four halls

60,000
titles on offer, from the latest best-selling cookbooks to the recent stars of modern literature

220
events in the five upstairs halls, including debates, broadcasts and cookery demonstrations. Numerous authors will also be present to sign copies of their books at their publishers' stands