BOOKWORMS, writers and fans of literature! You have a fantastic chance to go and meet a whole range of local authors at a special event this weekend, which celebrates their work and gives them a chance to showcase it to you.

The event - titled SALAD (Southend Area Local Author's Day) - takes place this Saturday at The Forum and sees 15 authors hold talks from 10am until 5:30pm, hosted by history author Dee Gordon.

SALAD is an annual initiative spearheaded by locally known children's author Ann Duggans-Robson, author and illustrator of the Pink Mouse Gang books. She launched SALAD in 2014 at The Forum library in Southend, with the support of the independently run Southend Writers and Artists Network (SWAN).

In the past SALAD has been part of the renowned Essex Book Festival.

This year it returns as part of the new Southend Festival, presented by Southend BID (Business Improvement District), an umbrella name for a whole host of events which take place in Southend from July 1 until August 15, in an attempt to place the town "on the cultural map" and gain a similar reputation as the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe.

SWAN founder Audrey Snee, who is also an author (pen name Una Rose) and publisher of Estuary Publishing, explained: "SALAD is an annual event to showcase the work of local authors so they could have a chance to communicate with an interested public about their work.

"The idea came about after local children’s author Ann Duggans-Robson offered to donate some of her popular illustrated books to the children’s library, one of which is set in Southend. But after an initial enthusiastic response by the librarian, the manager declined them. Eventually, after some remonstrance her books got accepted."

Ann added: "This led me to think that others may well be in the same situation and I set about getting a day for all local authors. I feel that ordinary people’s talents whether they be artists, authors or crafters are poorly represented generally unless they are already famous".

Una said: "In reality so little support is actually offered to the writers compared to the artists, thespians and yet there is a very large plethora of writers in the town.

Echo: Audrey Snee.Pictures: AL UNDERWOOD.

"I had set up my SWAN page on Facebook to do exactly the same as Ann, to promote our literary and artistic talents, and to show the council and others what we have to celebrate. There is a core group at SWAN who work tirelessly and for free to put on events, self-funding them for publicity with no recognition, which is a huge shame.

"We are now over 270 members strong and nearly all are based in Southend.

"So it was that this core group worked with Ann who came up with the idea of the Southend Area Local Author Day and leads SALAD to present our work every year at the Forum.

"This will be the fourth year in a row we have done this, first time under Festival and previously under Essex Book Festival. It is a simple format, just a drop in to meet authors, maybe buy a copy which can be signed but really to show the public that there are some great books under the radar but which tell the story of Southend in many of them."

SALAD promises to include "a fascinating look into Southend’s history, its residents, visitors. Topics come from Rossi’s Patricia Volante, Karen Bowman who shares a passion for the town and its powerful characters and Ian Yearsley who will tell stories of some of Southend’s 50 most interesting buildings".

Authors attending are: Ann Robson (pre-school children’s fiction); Robert Hallmann (history, photography, children’s fiction); Sarah Smith (fiction); Simon Woodward (Young Adult (YA) fantasy fiction); Dorothy Turner (poetry); Tessa Buckley (YA fiction writer, health cookbook); Lynden Wade (fiction); Owen Knight (YA fiction); Colin Taylor (children’s fiction); Audrey Snee (pen name of Una Rose) is an author, journalist, publisher and founder of SWAN and Estuary Publishing; Dee Gordon (local history); Dennis Thompson (pre-school children); Graham Hevy (religion, well-being); Samantha Lierens (fiction); Patricia Putt (novelist).

For more details and a specific programme visit visitsouthend.co.uk and click the link the Southend Festival.

The Forum is in Elmer Square, Southend.