All will be revealed ? and you can be there!

Eastern Daily Press: Carl Gorham's The Owl at the Window won the prize for memoir in the 2017 East Anglian Book Awards. Picture: ANTONY KELLYCarl Gorham's The Owl at the Window won the prize for memoir in the 2017 East Anglian Book Awards. Picture: ANTONY KELLY (Image: Archant Norfolk 2018)

There's nothing like being among the first to know… especially when combined with a satisfying two-course lunch and some well-known local authors talking about their lives.

That's the promise of the Jarrold Literary Lunch and East Anglian Book Awards 2018 being held in the Top of the Terrace suite at Norwich City Football Club's Carrow Road stadium. This annual celebration of regional writing is on November 23.

Tickets are £29.50. They're available from Jarrold Customer Services (the department store is in London Street, Norwich), or by phoning 01603 660661.

The event, which starts at 12noon, includes a two-course lunch and coffee. Authors Simon Scarrow, Rebecca Stott and Carl Gorham will be there – talking about their lives as East Anglian writers and presenting prizes to the award winners.

Eastern Daily Press: Simon Scarrow is known for his bestselling historical fiction, including the Roman series featuring Cato and Macro. Picture: Steve AdamsSimon Scarrow is known for his bestselling historical fiction, including the Roman series featuring Cato and Macro. Picture: Steve Adams

Rebecca wrote the memoir In The Days of Rain, which won the 2017 Costa Award for biography. It's an account of her childhood in a separatist Christian fundamentalist group, and the time spent looking after her terminally-ill father.

Carl wrote The Owl at the Window: a dramatic, funny and very sad (but later uplifting) real-life story of the past. It won the prize for memoir in the 2017 East Anglian Book Awards. He's also the creator, co-writer and producer of the first, British, adult, TV animated sitcom: Stressed Eric.

Simon is the Sunday Times chart bestselling author of historical fiction, including the Roman series featuring Cato and Macro, as well as wartime and contemporary thrillers.

East Anglian Book Awards will be presented for fiction, poetry, history and tradition, biography and memoir, general non-fiction, and children's books.

The contenders are set largely in East Anglia or written by an author living in the region (Norfolk and Suffolk, plus the area of Fenland District Council).

There are the category awards, and then the main prize: The East Anglian Book of the Year – which brings a £1,000 reward, sponsored by the PACCAR Foundation.

There are also awards for exceptional contribution and the East Anglian Writers – Book by the Cover accolade.

For details of the titles in the running, scan online for 'Revealed: The East Anglian Book Awards shortlist'

The awards are organised by the Eastern Daily Press, Jarrold, and the National Centre for Writing, in association with the University of East Anglia.