AN author is urging would-be readers of his latest work to find copies of his book instead of buying them.

John Donoghue plans to leave the North-East circulation of his book, Shakespeare my Butt, to chance, by hoping people stumble on copies he leaves in the region.

Mr Donoghue plans to leave 500 free copies in coffee shops, on park benches, and at several landmarks and tourist attractions throughout the summer.

Once the finder has read the book, they are encouraged to leave it in a public place for someone else to collect, in an unusual form of book-sharing.

The book, which details Mr Donoghue and his dog Barney's quest to find some of the most bizarre place names in England, has already won rave reviews, with critics calling it "extremely funny".

Mr Donoghue said he was staging the hunt in the region because it is where much of the book, which has no connection with Shakespeare, is based.

He said: "There are a lot of places around Durham and Darlington that are featured in my book, and it should be a lot of fun for everyone who gets involved.

"I decided to release my book into the wild as it will give some people an opportunity to try reading something that they would not normally read, and tempt people who would not normally buy books."

Anyone who discovers a copy of the book is asked to log on to Mr Donoghue's website at www.marsupial elvis.com to share their thoughts with fellow finders.