A weekend of words for new Morpeth event will include Vera Stanhope author Ann Cleeves

Well-known authors will share the stage with regional and local writers and poets at the very first Morpeth Book Festival next month.

Over the weekend of April 9 and 10, around 30 authors and poets will be talking about and reading from their books and poems at the event organised by Greater Morpeth Development Trust (GMDT) and Northumberland Libraries.

Among those taking part will be Ann Cleeves, best known for creating the detectives Vera Stanhope – made into a successful television series – and Jimmy Perez; American novelist, screenwriter and television producer Chuck Hogan who wrote The Strain series, The Killing Moon and Devils in Exile; and multi-award winning author Mari Hannah, whose books feature DCI Kate Daniels, DS Matthew Ryan and DI David Stone.

Ann and Mari will be in conversation with local journalist and magazine editor Ian Leech at the Pleased to Meet You venue in Morpeth on the Saturday.

The rest of the weekend will be divided into sessions for different literary genres covering the memoirs of local authors, murder and mayhem stories, historical novels and dystopian fiction.

Frank Rescigno, GMDT’s director of arts and culture and one of the Morpeth Book Festival’s main organisers, said: “We know from the library’s own records and local book stores that people of all ages are great readers in Morpeth, and we think we have put together an opening programme that will be inclusive and appeal to people of all ages and interests.

“We are particularly delighted to have celebrated authors such as Ann Cleeves, Mari Hannah and Chuck Hogan be involved with the event.

“We very much want the festival to be a success and to go on to become an annual event in Morpeth – one we can build on in the coming years.”

Children and young people will have plenty to enjoy with story-telling, play and craft sessions on the Saturday and Sunday at Morpeth Library, and the Royal National Institute of Blind People will be represented at the festival.

More details are available from GMDT and tickets are on sale at Morpeth Library and online at Eventbrite. There will be some available on the day at the door for different events.