FIVE prize-winning and best-selling authors are coming to Bewdley to feature in the town's literary festival which starts on Monday September 9.

Elizabeth Chadwick is an award-winning writer of historical fiction, her novel To Defy a King won the Romantic Novelists' Historical Novel of the year in 2011.

Her latest novel, published in June this year, The Summer Queen, is the first in a trilogy about Eleanor of Aquitaine and is already a bestseller. She will be speaking at St George’s Hall on Monday, September 9.

Niki Valentine shares a distinction with JK Rowling as she writes under two pseudonyms. She has achieved best-selling success in two different genres.

As Nicola Monaghan she wrote the award-winning novel The Killing Jar and now in her own name she has written the psycho-thrillers The Haunted and Possessed. She will be speaking on Tuesday, September 10.

Dudley writer Michael Taylor has set his nine popular novels in the Black Country. The series started with Eve's Daughter and the latest is Linden Woods.

He'll be talking about the factual backgrounds for his fiction on Wednesday, September 11.

Phil Rickman is another writer who has a loyal following for his for the Merrily Watkins series.

Merrily is a female vicar and advisor on the paranormal for the Diocese of Hereford. The 12th book in the series The Magus of Hay is published in November. Phil will be talking about his work on Thursday, September 12.

The fifth well-known writer in the varied Book Week programme is nationally-acclaimed poet Roger Elkins.

Roger has won awards for individual poems and for collections. He'll be introducing his latest anthology Marking Time on Friday, September 13.

The full programme of Bewdley Book Week, in association with The Shuttle, can be found at bewdleybookweek.org.uk and tickets can be booked at adbooker.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/store/bewdleybook