THE West Meon Festival of Books is returning in July and will be visited by a host of authors.

It will include Ali Sparkes, Imogen Roberston, Marika Cobbold, Frank Barnard, Simon Brett, Paul Bryers, Peter Hobbs, Zoë Fairbairns and Vanessa Gebbie to name just a few.

Along with meeting the authors, visitors will also be able to try their hand at creative writing and illustrating children’s stories. The festival, which will run from Friday, July 6 to Sunday, July 8, is now in its third year.

It will open on the Friday evening with an invitation to dress up like Charles Dickens, or one of his characters, and enjoy Lloyd Lee’s one-man show about the great man himself.

Saturday’s programme includes new and established authors taking to the stage to read from their work, answer questions and sign copies of their books.

The subjects will cover everything from naval adventures and historic crime scenes to psychological thrillers, hauntings and heartbreaks.

Sunday’s programme kicks off with another chance to dress up and celebrate all things 1950s style.

Children’s author Ali Sparkes will then lead a session about her book Frozen in Time. It will be followed by award-winning children’s illustrator Pete Williamson giving young readers the chance to put pencil to paper.

At the same time, any would-be authors can find out how to ‘Write Short Stories and Get Them Published’ thanks to Zoë Fairbairns and award-winning short story writer Tania Hershman.

Sunday afternoon sees an eclectic mix of fiction and non-fiction. Bethan Roberts will read from her tale of thwarted love set in Brighton and Peter Hobbs from his story of lost love in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Kevin Robertson will talk about his research into the now disused Meon Valley Railway line. There will also be a free-for-all ‘flash fiction’ area where visitors can scribble very short stories from six to 600 words.

Slightly Foxed will be hosting the Sunday tea, with biographer Maggie Fergusson, whose latest book about War Horse author Michael Morpurgo is out this summer.

Email boxoffice@westmeonfestival.co.uk, visit westmeonfestival.co.uk, or call 01730 829522 to book tickets.