Top children’s author Gillian Cross is to join the panel at a literary evening in St Mary's Hall later this month.

Warwickshire based Gillian has been writing award-winning children’s fiction since 1979. Her best known books are her 'Demon Headmaster' series, which was successfully dramatised by BBC television.

She has published more than 30 books, including ‘Wolf’ which won the 1990 Library Association’s Carnegie Medal for best children’s book and ‘The Great Elephant Chase’ which won both the Smarties Prize and the Whitbread Children’s Novel Award. Her new novel, ‘Calling a Dead Man’ was published in September.

She will be talking about her work at a Writers at the Hall event on 14 November, where she will be joining a panel that includes Coventry-born Stewart Harcourt, writer of the popular TV series Hearts and Bones.

Gillian Cross, who lives in Wolston, said:

“Although I’ve lived near Coventry for over ten years, I’ve never visited the hall before. I’m very much looking forward to spending the evening in such beautiful surroundings."

This will be the sixth in a series of Writers at the Hall events, organised by Coventry and Warwickshire Promotions in partnership with Coventry Library Service and Waterstones bookshop. Previous panellists have included Lord Hattersley, award-winning novelist David Lodge and Sue Townsend, creator of Adrian Mole.

Compere for the evening will be Annie Othen, the breakfast show presenter for BBC Radio WM.

The evening session includes a three-course dinner and free wine reception, as well as a book signing session.

Tickets are £21 a head and are available from Coventry’s Tourist Information Centre, Bayley Lane (tel 024 7622 7264, email tic@coventry.org).