Bestselling authors Mike Gayle and Jake Arnott, former Home Secretary Alan Johnson, and Portuguese writer Dr Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya have been announced as speakers at the Lambeth Readers and Writers Festival that runs throughout May.

The council-run event, now in its 10th year, is London’s leading library-based literature festival and promises a programme of readings, discussions and workshops for all ages, in libraries across the borough.

Councillor Sally Prentice, Lambeth Council's cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: “The Readers and Writers Festival is a great event that inspires and nurtures interest in the written and spoken word.

"The fact that it’s celebrating its 10th birthday this year is a tribute to Lambeth Council’s Library Service who organise the festival.

"You only have to look at the range and calibre of speakers who are coming to see that this is firmly established as a major date in the world of books, writers and readers offering something for everyone.”

This year’s Festival starts with the free quarterly ‘Brixton BookJam’ at the Hootananny pub on Monday May 6 at 7.30pm.

This is its fifth outing and will aim to feature an eclectic mix of big name and local writers for a night of book-related entertainment.

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Comedian Ivor Dembina (pictured) will host and introduce 12 five-minute readings.

  • Brixton Library – Thursday 9th May and Thursday 23rd May, 5.30 to 7.00pm
  • Streatham Library – Tuesday 14th May, 5.00 pm to 7.00pm
  • Clapham Library – Tuesday 23rd May 5.00pm to 7.00pm

See the full festival programme at lambeth.gov.uk/readersandwriters. To book for an event call 020 7926 1075 or email readersandwriters@lambeth.gov.uk.