POET laureate Andrew Motion is to be the star name at the forthcoming Whitby Literature Festival.
He will be reading and speaking at Caedmon School hall on Thursday, as part of a programme of events from May 15 to 24 that will include workshops and a poetry karaoke competition.
All money raised by the festival will be donated to the renovation project at Fishburn Park children's playground, in Whitby.
It is also hoped that this year's event will lead to a larger annual Whitby literature festival being established.
Festival coordinator Chris Firth, who teaches English at Caedmon School, is also a short story writer and novelist, who has had much of his work published.
He said: "Our aim is to promote literature among people of all ages and to create an interest in writing poetry and fiction."
He said the festival would have lots of open-mic sessions, where people could read their own work in a relaxed setting.
For details of the programme call Mr Firth, on (01947) 600135
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