A new festival celebrating the work of lesser-known authors from the Midlands will take place this September.

The Middleway Words book festival will feature five days of free online events designed to inspire a new generation to express their creativity.

Taking place between September 5 and 11, this new Midlands book festival will bring readers and writers together to discuss and discover the many great books which do not get huge displays in the major bookstores.

Organised by members of the Society of Authors, Middleway Words aims to showcase the talents of local authors to a wider audience in a way that festivals in other regions of the country have done successfully for years. Making your voice heard is not easy for authors who are self-published or are attached to small publishing houses but the quality of their work attracts a loyal following.

Festival co-founder and co-chair of Society of Authors Warwickshire Ignaty Dyakov-Richmond said: "There have been festivals in the north and the south for a long time but never for writers in the Midlands and we decided it was about time we set that right.

"We have a long and proud tradition of great writing in the Midlands and there are so many excellent writers in the region who readers would love if only they were introduced to their work. With Middleway Words, we aim to bring them together."

The schedule

The festival will feature five days of free online events on the Society of Authors' YouTube channel.

It will begin on Sunday, September 5, with author-led panel discussion on how a book is born. Sessions aimed at adults and children on how to write fiction and poetry to appeal to readers of all ages will follow.

The closing panel, on Saturday, September 11, aims to introduce different types of writing, including script, translation, education and theatre narrative.

In between, there will be two or three sessions a day on selected days, running at lunchtime and the early evening, in which regional authors will talk and answer questions about their books and the writing process.

Short videos from other authors speaking about their books will be aired prior to and during the Festival, giving readers plenty of chance to add new names to their reading list.

Ignaty added: "We are formulating an exciting programme of events which will have something for everyone who loves books. Not only will Middleway Words promote those who are already creating great work, we want it to provide helpful advice to inspire others to write."