Top author Sebastian Faulks one of the headliners for the event

Top author Sebastian Faulks is one of the headline names at the first ever Queen’s Park book festival next month.

The one-day event will take place in the park itself on June 11. In addition to talks and book readings, there will be opportunities to book swap, help compose a ‘chain novel’, join an oral history project and attend illustration workshops.

Children will have their own storytelling yurt as well as lots of other free activities, including arts and crafts.

Author Sebastian Faulks and the Peep Show comedy team will be headlining the event, which also features live music by Edwyn Collins.

The festival was the brainchild of Queen’s Park resident, Simon O’Hagan, who has a bulging contacts book.

He said: “Book festivals are a great thing because it’s exciting to hear and see authors first-hand and interact with them. Plus, there is a huge appetite for experiencing the exchange of ideas ‘live’.

“The park itself is such a wonderful place to bring people together – a natural venue that we are incredibly lucky to have.

“To me, the book festival is very much a logical next step to Queen’s Park Day and Open Gardens Day, both of which events feed off and express a strong sense of community. We hope the book festival will do the same.”

In addition to local writers, the festival will feature other famous authors including Natalie Haynes, Philip Hensher, Christina Hopkinson, Maggie Gee, Tim Lott, Polly Williams, Alex Bellos, Geraint Anderson, Anthony McGowan and Monique Roffey.

The event is being organised by Queen’s Park Residents’ Association in association with Queen’s Park Bookshop.

Elaine Henderson, QPRA member, said: “Queen’s Park is a good venue for a festival because it’s central to our area. We love the idea of people joining in with the various events. The perfect festival day would involve sun and a large lively crowd! Everyone is welcome – from toddlers to silver surfers, from library staff to local shopkeepers, from book group members to manga cartoon fans.”

n Tickets cost �5 in advance (�6 on the day) and are on sale at Queen’s Park Bookshop in Salusbury Road. More information can be found at www.qpark.org.uk/bookfestival.