A poetic quest encouraging people to get out and about and explore our fine county is soon to be launched - and the winners could scoop a prize of up to �10,000.

Street Hunt is the idea of art event creator Joshua Sofaer and the competition - described as a visual crossword puzzle - and was commissioned by the Norfolk and Norwich Festival.

Mr Sofaer has written a poem from words in Norfolk road names - and using photo clues from the specially-created Street Hunt book people need to find the road signs used and work out the poem.

The book is due to be launched on the eve of the festival at The Book Hive, in Norwich, and yesterday Mr Sofaer, from Wirksworth, in Derbyshire, was at the city centre book store installing a creative cardboard city in its windows to develop people's curiosity about the competition.

He said: 'Street Hunt is about getting out in Norfolk and discovering your county.

'Wherever we live we tend to take our area a little bit for granted, and we do not always see everything around us.

'I want to encourage people to get out and explore Norfolk.

'As I have been working on the project and getting to know Norfolk I have really developed a love for the county.'

He explained: 'A narrative poem has been written made up only of street names in Norfolk. The Street Hunt book is a book of images of the street signs with the names removed. You have to work out where the signs are, and the emerging story of the poem will also help you.

'This is the first time I have created a Street Hunt of this kind. It is a an original piece just for the Norfolk and Norwich Festival.

'I really hope people will enjoy it. We have kept the competition open for five years because we do not know how long it will take people. It is not going to be something that people will be able to finish immediately.'

Creating the competition has been a lengthy process and Mr Sofaer said he is very excited about the launch of the Street Hunt book at midnight on May 5. Until then the details of the book remain a closely guarded secret.

'It is being printed outside of the county and I am going to escort it personally to the county so nobody gets to see it before the launch!' he said.

A total of 1,000 copies of the book have been created. The competition could run until May 6 2016 and if nobody solves the puzzle the prize fund will be donated to improve road signage in Norfolk

• The Street Hunt book costs �10. You can reserve a copy of the book by buying a special voucher from the festival box office at the Theatre Royal. You can exchange this for - or but - a copy of the book from The Book Hive at midnight on May 5.

• For more information visit www.streethunt.co.uk

Street Hunt can also be followed on Twitter - @winstreethunt - or visit the Street Hunt Facebook page.

• The EDP in conjunction with VisitNorwich has five vouchers for the Street Hunt book to give away to five groups.

We are looking for five groups of Street Hunt correspondents to become the 'Faces of Street' and talk about their ongoing progress in the competition.

To enter you should tell us in no more than 150 words why your group should be the Face of Street Hunt and what your group would do with the prize money.

Entries, which must include the group's name and a contact number, should either be emailed to tourism@visitnorwich.co.uk or posted to Mel Cook, VisitNorwich, 2 Millenium Plain, Bethel Street, Norwich, NR2 1TF. The closing date for the Face of Street Hunt is Thursday, April 28.

• NNF11 runs from May 6 to 21. You can book online at www.nnfestvial.org.uk/nnf11, by phone on 01603 766400 or at the Norwich Theatre Royal box office