Wirral holds its very first literary festival between 7th and 12th of April, brought to you by Wirral Libraries and partially funded by the Arts Council, but also linked to Wirral Council's "Culture for All" campaign and supported by the Liverpool Culture Company as part of the European Capital of Culture 2008 festival.

There are over twenty different events taking place, including a "Writing for TV" workshop, screenings by Birkenhead Film Society, a celebration of Greasby in poetry, two graphic novels workshops, an evening with Count Dracula and performances from Wirral members of Liverpool's acclaimed Dead Good Poets.

There are opportunities to meet writers such as Chris Tutton, Anne Baker, Brian Jacques and Shoo Rayner, Jojo Moyes, Mike Gayle, Jenny Colgan, Ray O'Brien, John Siddique and Wirral's own Young Poet Laureate, Holly Green.

Riverside Writers will present Words from Wordsmiths at 7pm on Monday, April 7th at West Kirby Library. Nine members of this long-established writing group will perform at tightly-packed programme of diverse readings of original poetry and fiction.

Tim Hulme will read his hilarious The Missing Muffin, which has previously been broadcast on Radio Merseyside. Joanna McIlhatton, who has recently had a cookery book published, will read her monologue called Look Out. I will be reading Seagull Inn, a ghost story set on Hilbre Island, which was published in the Ruins Terra anthology (pbs. Hadley Rille Books).

Free tickets for Words from Wordsmiths will be available from West Kirby Library on the night. Refreshments will also be available.

For more information about the entire events programme for Wirral BookFest, venues and disabled access telephone 0151 639 2334 or visit on-line at:- http://www.wirral.gov.uk/bookfest