Next month book lovers will celebrate the centennials of two of the great literary figures of the 20th century—novelist James Michener on February 3 and poet W.H. Auden on February 21. Both authors were recruited to Random House by its founder, Bennett Cerf—Auden in 1934 and Michener in 1947—and remain Random authors to this day.

Michener has sold some 37 million copies over the years and still has 23 titles in print. Although there are no sales records on Auden that go back nearly three-quarters of a century, Auden, even in death, still brings truth to what Cerf wrote in his memoir At Random: "There is more demand for Auden than for most poets, year after year."

To start the Michener celebrations, Random will reissue his memoir, The World Is My Home, in paperback for the first time. "I always think of him as America's storyteller," said Carol Schneider, v-p, executive director, publicity/ public relations for Random. "He drew in people to read fiction who were not normally buyers of fiction."

Celebrations for Michener will range far and wide across the U.S.—much like the diverse subject matter of his books. Some of the events will include:

• James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, Pa.: James A. Michener: Traveler/Citizen/Writer, March 3—July 8.

• James A. Michener Center for Writers and the Blanton Museum of Art, University of Texas, Austin: Events on February 1, 2 and 15.

• University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colo.: On February 2, the university will host a reception for Robert Vavra Presents James Albert Michener, an exhibition of about 40 photographs.

Auden's Collected Poemsare being published by Modern Library in a new edition and his Selected Poems(with 20 poems added) is being reissued by Vintage. PWasked Edward Mendelson, Auden's literary executor, about the two volumes. "The Collected Poems represents Auden's final revisions and includes only the poems that he wanted to preserve. The Selected Poems includes the most famous of the poems that he rejected in later years, and prints the original versions of poems that he heavily revised."

While the Michener centennial has all the bells and whistles of a modern-day author tour, Auden's celebration will be much more subdued. As part of the promotion for the Selected Poems, Mendelson will do a five-city tour. He will also be part of Yale's February 21 event and will appear on a panel at the 92nd Street Y in N.Y.C. on March 7.