Though I'm reasonably certain the "OMG, erotica is hot!" trend piece has run in a zillion other places, here's another take from the Freep's books editor Marta Salij (who used to be the paper's books editor before cutbacks dictated otherwise.) There's Ellora's Cave, publishing thousands of e-books and paperbacks since its inception several years ago; bookstores having erotica book clubs; and why major houses have been jumping on the bandwagon in domino fashion - Berkley's Heat, Kensington's Aphrodisia, Harlequin's Spice and Avon's Red, just to name a few.

Meanwhile, 30 romantic fiction writers convened in Edinburgh to pay tribute to the lifetime achievements of top-selling authors Rosamund Pilcher, Lucilla Andrews and Mary Stewart, and defending their chosen genre with passion. Speaking at the event, organiser Eileen Ramsey said: "Each romantic novel has to be judged on its own merit. We are here not only to honour well-established writers, but also to give a chance to budding novelists who feel they have something to say."