Breckland Book Festival is starting on Tuesday (October 4) and promising a wide-ranging programme of award-winning authors, appearances by Norfolk personalities, workshops and events through the autumn.

The event has attracted best-selling writers including Louis de Bernieres, poet Wendy Cope and children's favourite Tom Blofeld, creator of the BeWILDerwood series.

In the weeks ahead, Test Match Special radio stalwart Henry Blofeld will delight audiences with anecdotes from his long and colourful career, BBC presenter Bill Turnbull will share his passion for beekeeping and tireless Norfolk dialect champion Keith Skipper will reveal his bedtime reading for a castaway in Desert Island Dusks.

The festival, which runs until December 3, has been organised and funded by Breckland Council in partnership with Norwich Arts Centre.

It will feature more than 30 literary events, half-term activities and workshops across the district.

Supported by Norfolk County Council Library Service, festival organisers hope to encourage more people to make use of the resources on offer at their local libraries.

Breckland Council leader William Nunn has praised what he calls a 'truly inspirational' programme that should appeal to people of all ages.

A range of children's authors, including former rock guitarist Alex Scarrow and Kevin Price, will be running events for children, and there will be book-inspired art and craft workshops during the schools' half-term.

Louis De Bernieres, best known for his novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin, will be available to answer questions after introducing his new novel, Notwithstanding: English Village Stories, at Dereham Library from 6pm on Thursday (tickets �6/�4 concessions).

Tickets can be ordered online at www.brecklandbookfestival.com or on 01603 660352.

They are also available from the relevant library.

Future events to look out for include biographer DJ Taylor discussing the works of Shropham-based author Mary E Mann (Thetford Grammar School, 7.30pm, on October 13), and Norfolk-based writer and naturalist Mark Cocker in conversation with Jeremy Mynott (EcoTech Centre, Swaffham, 7.30pm, October 19).

Festival booklets are available from Dereham Library and others across Breckland, Ceres Bookshop in Swaffham, JC Books at Watton, and at Swaffham and Thetford museums.