MAN Booker prize winner Yann Martel delighted members of the Brentor Book Club when he accepted an invitation to their New Year meeting to discuss his writing and to read some of his new book to the group.

The Canadian author is probably best known for his book Life of Pi, which was made into a film in 2012.

He took time out from visiting his partner's family in the village to chat with club members who had chosen to read another of his works Beatrice and Virgil, which took seven years to write and was published to mixed reviews.

The novel is centred on 'representations' of the holocaust, which Yann explained was quite a rarity as most books tackling this sensitive subject are almost always non-fiction.

Visiting from his home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he spent the evening discussing Life of Pi and the making of the film.

Yann also talked about his lengthy procedures involved in researching, writing, rewriting, editing and the eventual publication of a book.

The group were then treated to a glimpse of his latest work when he read an extract from the book he has just completed, but which will not be in print for at least another year.

Brentor Book Club, which has been running for 10 years, is one of more than 200 groups in the county which are supported by Devon Library services and each month Tavistock library supplies every member of the club with a copy of the book selected for discussion.

Yann Martel is a great supporter of public libraries and had the role of writer in residence at Saskatoon library when he won the Man Booker Prize.