The first Winchester Books Festival is taking place this weekend and tickets are still available.

The three-day event, held from April 21-23 and sponsored by the University of Winchester, has a multitude of talks on a wide variety of subjects.

It was founded by three book-obsessed friends, Sian Searles, Sophie Liardet and Louisa Symington, who felt that Winchester’s festival schedule was missing one dedicated to literature.

Charles Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, will be at Winchester College on April 21 at 12pm to talk about his book The White Ship, which tells story of the ship's sinking which killed Henry I’s only legitimate heir in 1120.

On the same day, Winchester resident and RAF fast-jet pilot Mandy Hickson will be promoting her book An Officer, Not a Gentleman. This will be held at the Theatre Royal at 7.30pm

Winchester author and Costa Book Awards winner Claire Fuller will be joined by former St Swithun’s School pupil Chibundu Onuzo and author Frances Liardet, for a talk titled: How to get Published. This will be held at Milner Hall in St Peter Street on April 22, at 12.30pm.

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Gill Hornby, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Miss Austen, will be at Milner Hall at 3pm on April 22. She will be talking about her new novel Godmersham Park. Set in 1804, it follows Anne Sharp, a governess who became close to Jane Austen and her family.

Sarah Barclay will be interviewed by Susannah Jowitt about her debut novel Eden’s Keepers at the Pastoral Hall, St Peter's Catholic Church in Jewry Street. This will be at 11am on April 22.

Marina Wheeler KC will be at the university on April 23 at 11am, with her book The Lost Homestead. The book delves into her family’s past, drawing on her mother’s oral history, accounts from her Indian family, her own research and travels to both India and Pakistan.

Co-founder Sian Searles said: “These events will have big benefits for the local community. We have been trying to connect with the young people in the city, by asking students to help with promotional video and the tech at each event.”

For more details about the other events, visit: winchesterbooksfestival.com/.