The festival will be running from 8th ’til 20th June at several venues, including at Darwen Library and Library Theatre.

Schools from across the borough have been invited to take part in sessions at local libraries with an exciting range of authors and artists, including legendary author, poet and broadcaster Michael Rosen, award winning author and libraries’ patron Christina Gabbitas, and BAFTA winning British American writer and producer Jocelyn Stephenson. Other talent with strong connections to the borough is well represented, with Iqbal Hussain, Saira Shah, Hafiza Issa and illustrator Reyhana Ismail all taking part, alongside authors Sarah Surgey, Ben Davis, Donavan Christopher, Richard O’Neill MBE, Oliver Sykes, Adisa, Dom Conlon, Dommy B and Ursula Hurst while magician Angus Baskerville will be performing too.