The festival runs over eight days, from 1 to 8 July, and highlights include famous authors such as Valerie Wood, Gervase Phinn and GP Taylor discussing their work.

Valerie Wood said: "I'm thrilled to be invited to the first Pocklington Book Festival. If there's a better way of promoting books than holding a book festival, then I don't know of it and to combine it with the Independent Booksellers Week is brilliant.

"Simply Books have put together a fantastic programme. There are talks and walks, picnics, poets and parties and stories to listen to."

Other festival events include a Wilberforce Walk and Talk, teddy bears' picnic and book trail, the Dickens Society performing in Burnby Hall Gardens and a creative writing workshop.

Organiser Sara Waddington, who runs Simply Books and is secretary of the town's Chamber of Trade, said: "Some events are sold out and some are close to selling out so anyone wanting tickets needs to get them as soon as possible. There will be no opportunity to buy tickets on the door.

"We've sold tickets to people from York, Scarborough, Goole, Hull, Driffield and Bridlington and I have had several poets and authors asking if they can be involved next year."