TOMORROW'S THE DAY - LAUNCH OF THE ESSEX BOOK FESTIVAL

After so much planning by Belinda Farrell, Seona Ford and their team, come and meet them tomorrow morning, Friday 1 March at the launch of our famous Essex Book Festival. 9am-12noon at Chelmsford Library - free entry.  The super Dave Monk of BBC Essex will be broadcasting live and so we have a chance to listen, as well as chat to Dave - one of my favourite presenters.  Authors Wendy Jones and Elizabeth Day will be interviewed by Dave tomorrow and there will be some surprises - so bring your camera!

This is our twelfth Book Festival and the public interest grows every year.  The chosen authors, presenters, journalists - around 60 well known folk will be appearing in libraries and prominent venues around Essex during this upcoming month.  In the EBF brochure (website www.essexbookfestival.org.uk)  you will find details of personalties such as Michael Rosen, Sandi Toksvig, Gavin Esler, Roger McGough, Rt Hon Jack Straw, Polly Toynbee, Josephine Cox and numerous other luminaries appearing in venues across Essex throughout March.

Tomorrow though, at our kick-off, we'll meet 'Friends of the Festival', a group now firmly established to support the work of the Festival and a chance to meet an enthusiastic network of people across the county who are passionate about books. Pat Gaudin is in the chair and recently appeared on Phoenix 98fm and certainly impressed my colleagues at Business Biscotti at Marygreen Manor, Brentwood.

Pat Gaudin, Chair, Friends of Essex Book Festival and yours truly during presenter, Michelle Ward's Eat My Lunch radio programme on l February 2013

Tomorrow, too, you can also meet members of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists and pick up copies of our latest magazines and learn about this great Society - founded in 1894 -with an enviable  membership across the world.  Our Life President is the Rt Hon.Lady Shirley Williams. Discover more details on www.swwj.co.uk

Do come and meet us tomorrow in Chelmsford Library or at one of the exciting gatherings around Essex during March.  By the way, I will be at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester  on Saturday 2 March, around 11am to hear Anthony Horowitz talk about his book in The Power of Five series, Oblivion.  May even taken a photo or two!