Welsh wonder Cerys Matthews will be the star attraction at the fourth Wolverhampton Literature Festival in the New Year.

Audiences can join the founding member of rock band Catatonia at the Slade Rooms where she will be talking about her new book ‘Where the Wild Cooks Go’.

The event at the Slade Rooms will celebrate food, poetry, music and some curious aspects of world history, as well as a cocktail or two.

The full Literature Festival will take place between Friday, January 31 and Sunday, February 2, and the full programme will be announced on Monday (November 25) when tickets will also go on sale.

The programme will celebrate South Asian voices with a lively panel of British Asian writers and artists sharing how they use different art forms to empower and raise the invisible voices of South Asian women and girls.

There is also a presentation of working class writing with poets and writers from the ‘Common People’ anthology, a chance to have afternoon tea with your favourite characters from Jane Austen’s novels, and a whole host of poetry events topped off with a performance by The Antipoet.

Bantock House will host a storytelling line-up with performers from across the region and the country coming together to share their tales. The Lych Gate Tavern will once again become the hub for the festival fringe events with some of the best new spoken word and comedic acts.

On Saturday, February 1, the festival will also showcase an exciting new performance of ‘The Ishiguro Songbook’, including the world premiere of selections from a song cycle based on Ishiguro’s masterful, surreal, and often hilarious novel ’The Unconsoled’.

Amateur performers can participate for free at Central Library in Wolves Lit Fest Open Mic Night - a safe place for people to perform regardless of previous experience. Central and branch libraries will also host a programme of children’s events, with Narinder Dhami, wizards, and dance around the world.

Marguerite Nugent, City of Wolverhampton Council Manager – Arts and Culture, said: “We are so pleased to be announcing the fourth Literature Festival in Wolverhampton.

“Theatre and live performance are a vital part of storytelling, and we are delighted to have a range of workshops to enhance and develop these key skills. 

“Whether you want to listen and learn from writers, or hone your own literary skills, there really is something for everyone.”

For more information on the Wolverhampton Literature Festival programme and to buy tickets visit www.wolvesliteraturefestival.co.uk.

You can also find us on Twitter @WolvesLitFest, Facebook @WolvesLitFest and Instagram #wolveslitfest.