LOATH to describe herself as a vocational writer as she thinks that’s pretentious, Sarah Harte says her need to write is “more like a disease.”

Here is a selection of people who have recently been appointed to interesting new roles.

The mum released her first book in 2016, which focused on fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

Mrs Hinch – aka Sophie Hinchliffe – is an internet sensation, famous for her super bubbly cleaning tips and her regular updates about her husband and imminent first child.

A new app is teaching children and their parents sign language, through the power of reading, writes Ciara McDonnell.

Get ahead with spring cleaning by tackling heavy duty jobs now, so by the time March comes around there will only be lighter chores to do, writes Carol O’Callaghan.

It was just about to land in bookshops when Matt Cooper’s tome on Michael O’Leary encountered turbulence on the approach.

Most readers of this newspaper get their fix before they tackle the front page.

Dan MacCarthy discusses Carthy’s Islands in Roaringwater Bay

DR RANGAN Chatterjee believes in walking the talk and so do his children. His seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter literally follow in the footsteps of their dad, a GP from Manchester who is also the presenter of BBC’s

They are the tastemakers - celebrity experts in everything from fitness to fashion. They share their dream gifts in their specialist fields with Ciara McDonnell.

Before she moved to Kinsale in the 1960s, Elizabeth Friedlander had already fled the Nazis, designed covers for Penguin books and created her own typeface, writes Marjorie Brennan.

The publishers and authors of a book about the Kinahan crime cartel have apologised in the High Court to a Dublin man and stated he has no association with the Hutch or Kinahan gangs.

Pearson is set to raise $1bn (€877m) from the sale of a 22% stake in Penguin Random House to majority owner Bertelsmann, in the British group’s latest bid to rebuild following a string of profit warnings.

As his new photography book is published, the Beckham’s eldest child reveals to Hannah Stephenson why he won’t be following in his father’s footsteps.

Greetings from a sunny Paris — and thus not Turf Moor — where your correspondent is covering the French presidential election.

Best known from the All Creatures Great and Small series, Carol Drinkwater is also a popular author, writes Marjorie Brennan

The crisis engulfing Pearson deepened after the education company cut its profit forecast and predicted years of gloom in the US market, forcing it to slash its dividend and put its stake in the famous Penguin Random House book business up for sale to raise cash.

The great myth has always been that children adore clowns. No they don’t. They never have, writes Terry Prone

* Derval O’Rourke’s Booster Bars

The idea for Vanessa Ronan’s debut came from a news report about a man from a small town who, having committed a horrible crime and shown no remorse, was going back, writes Sue Leonard.

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On a recent visit to Iraq, Maeve Higgins realised how important comedy is to people in difficult situations, writes Ellie O’Byrne

New figures show that outspoken soccer pundit, Eamon Dunphy, who turned 70 last year, still has massive earning power.

A prolific reader, Julia didn’t start to read like a writer until she was 15, and read Jane Eyre. She took an MA in creative writing, but concentrated on poetry. It wasn’t until the end of the course that she had an idea for a novel.

ONE night after a few glasses of wine, Paula Zuccotti told her friend about an idea she had. 

First-time novelist Morrissey has won the most unwanted prize in writing, a bad-sex-in-fiction award.

All the latest sports book news, including a profile of Patrick McCarry’s book The New Breed – Irish Rugby’s Professional Era

MARCUS Goldman is, for a brief, shining moment, the brightest star in the New York literary firmament. 

Talking publishing, writing, selling and reading in our sports book round-up.

CELEBRITY chef Jamie Oliver wants to live to be 100. Though he doesn’t pretend to have the secret of longevity, he has no doubt that a balanced diet, rich in vegetables and fruit, will reel back the years.

Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie is heading to be the most successful Irish film for over 20 years, with worldwide box office receipts estimated to top $35m (€30.8m).

Biggest e-book seller in Europe under scrutiny for anti-competitive clauses in contracts with publishers

Georges Simenon (translated by David Coward)

THE lovely people at Penguin sent a book about the Roman philosopher, Seneca, written by a professor of classics, Emily Wilson.

Mara Wilson, who played Matilda and Kiami Davael, who played Lavender shared their lunch date reunion snap on Twitter.

Alfred 'Alfie' Date is 109 years old and has been knitting for 80 years. He has also made little jumpers for penguins affected by an oil spill.

In what has to be cutest story ever, Australia’s oldest man has been knitting little jumpers for injured penguins.

An anthology of poets who were born in the province after 1960 is the first since the late Sean Dunne’s 1985 guide, says Colette Sheridan

The publisher of an authorised best-seller about North Korean defector and human rights activist Shin Dong-hyuk has said it is anxious for an “accurate understanding” of the facts after he retracted substantial parts of his story.

Novelist Salman Rushdie has spoken out against the threat of “religious totalitarianism” in the wake of the murderous attack in Paris.

Love, Tanya will be released on January 22 but is already taking the pre-sale charts by storm.

Richard Fitzpatrick reveals some books that are certain to cause a stir this spring.