Talks of the town

Yann Martel Tigers 'r' us! Canadian Yann Martel reads from his Booker-winning novel, Life Of Pi, about the fellow stranded at sea with a tiger for company. Martel is joined by Robert Hough, whose novel, The Final Confession Of Mabel Stark, published next month, is based on the true-life story of a lady tiger trainer. Film rights have already been snapped up, and the part of Mabel goes to... Kate Winslet.

Margaret Atwood in Conversation Another Canadian Booker winner. Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale is currently in production at the ENO. She'll be talking about the book and its adaptation.

Talks

Daniel Libeskind Daniel Libeskind will be presenting the plans which have won the worldwide competition to design and build a new spire in place of the Twin Towers. At its centre will be the 30ft pit left after salvage teams dug away and removed millions of pounds of rubble. Libeskind has said he wants it to be a 'quiet, meditative space'. With Jonathan Glancey. Organised by the Architecture Foundation.

Figuring it out: Colin Renfrew and Cornelia Parker

Archeologist Colin Renfrew talks to artist Cornelia Parker about the close relationship between modern art and archaeology.

Deborah Cadbury: The Lost King of France Deborah Cadbury gives a talk, based on her book, about Louis-Charles Bourbon, the baby dauphin who lost everything. Followed by a book signing.

Colm Toibin Three writers divulge which classic work has inspired them and why. This week, Colm Toibin on Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray. Chaired by Richard Canning.

Collateral Damage Patrick Marber, Nadim Sawalha and others act out their responses to the war against Iraq.

Pressure to be Perfect Three events in conjunction with the Teenage Girls exhibition: Angela McRobbie on the evil forces at work that make young women feel inadequate 'cos they can't get the J-Lo bot, the Julia Roberts pout, lose five stone, etc (noon). Caroline Sullivan on why falling in love with a pop star is a 'dress rehearsal for the real thing' (2.30pm). Nirmal Puwar on the influence of Asian fashions (4.30pm)

Nancy Houston Canadian writer Nancy Huston talks about why male writing is so often bleak and nihilistic, as opposed to all that feel-good ladies-lit. In French.

Performance

Yu Yeon Kim

The curator of the Translated Acts exhibition, Yu Yeon Kim, looks at contemporary performance and body art from East Asia.