Call out to local authors for West Berks Library showcase

Newbury library is again aiming to raise awareness of local authors by offering them the opportunity to connect with the public at a showcase on Saturday, November 23, from 11am to 2pm.

If you have had a book published that you would like to promote, please contact them for further details - an early expression of interest is advised as space is limited. The cost to hire a table is £10.

If you are interested, send them an email to: Library@westberks.gov.uk

www.westberks.gov.uk/libraries

Rosie Flower, from West Berkshire Libraries Service Communities and Wellbeing, would also like to hear from any authors who would like to provide a talk or an activity. “It would be nice to provide a programme of events throughout the day,” she said.

Last December 31 writers from across West Berkshire attended the library’s author’s showcase to tell visitors all about their recently published books. The second annual local author's day brought out new and not so new writers from all over the area to showcase their books.

newburytoday.co.uk/news/library-hopes-local-author-showcase-will-be-an-annual-event-9343123/

One of them, novelist and biographer Derek Ansell, said: “It was surprising to see how many local authors there are in Newbury and surrounding villages.

“There were books of all sorts and sizes on offer – fiction and non fiction side by side. Books on history, geography, canals, would you believe, local history, children's books and a large diverse range of fiction.

“I had five novels and one biography on display.

“I was also asked to supply a sample book to the library so that they could check it out with a view to stocking it... And others, I hope!”

Annabel Bailey from Great Shefford was another participating author.

She was promoting and selling her book Leaves from the Tree, “the story of my mother’s family from the 17th to the 20th century; 400 years of living on the land, each ‘leaf’ being an imagined episode, gathered over generations into one family”.

She describes it as “A saga about the ways of the country (hedging and ditching, cheesemaking, slate quarrying, ferreting, rent collecting and breeding children!).”