Over at Leaf Salon, in between the traditional whingeing about how the wrong books won yet again at the Montanas, is a nice tribute to Kevin Ireland (“another of our greatest living writers, and a very styley geezer to boot”), who got a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to NZ literature.

TVNZ pays its own tribute with a three-day Ireland special: he’s on the excellent Kiwi Kitchen tonight at 8, showing Richard Till how to cook a casserole; on The Book Show on Saturday at 5.30pm talking about writing; and on Sunday at 10.40pm he’s on Artsville as a painter.