HOME-grown talent meets the best worldwide when Manchester Literature Festival gets under way this week.

Writers will be travelling to the city from north Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the United States for this third comprehensive festival, spread over 11 days.

The enjoyable programme, organised in association with CityLife.co.uk, celebrates diversity in literature with events ranging from poetry to children’s fiction. And it takes place in both traditional and unconventional venues.

The festival line-up includes a host of famous names. North-west playwright Jim Cartwright will be at The Northern Pub, while novelist Mavis Cheek is looking at modern romance at Tiger Tiger.

There’s poetry in translation at Manchester’s Central Library, writer Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk, Dr Who, Torchwood) will be at Cornerhouse, and Woman’s Hour presenter and journalist Jenni Murray will speak at the Midland Hotel’s French Restaurant.

Lawbreaking takes centrestage when the cream of crime writers gather. Take a look at historical crimes at an event at John Rylands Library with Anne Perry, Andrew Martin and Lee Jackson.

Then audiences will be invited to dig deeper into the murky world of forensics in the CSI Manchester workshop and discussion for budding crime writers at the Museum of Science and Industry.

School of Manchester, an event at the Deaf Institute, features debut novelists Joe Stretch, Kei Miller and Stephen May, all graduates of the city’s university writing schools, while internationally-renowned poet Jorie Graham makes a rare visit to the UK.

The ever-popular Manchester Blog Awards will once again be an essential part of the festival, keeping a finger on the pulse of the hottest writers in the blogosphere, and Manchester Metropolitan University will be announcing the winners of the country’s biggest poetry prize at a special gala event.

For full details go to www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk.