The Weaver Words Frodsham Literature Festival is back for five days of events, talks, workshops and competitions from April 2-6.

A performance by poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and a literary lunch with Tim Firth, writer of Calendar Girls, lead an impressive line-up of authors and performers who will be appearing at the festival.

A new adult creative writing, flash fiction prize has been launched, sponsored by Cheshire legal firm FDR Law, offering prizes worth £500 to authors of the best ultra short story of 300 words or less.

This is in addition to the second Great Weaver Words Story Prize for North Cheshire school children (Years 3-9), judged by the festival patron Tim Firth, which will be awarding book tokens of £50 for the best stories in three age categories.

The First World War will be a major theme running through the festival.

The programme will include talks on war poets Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Edward Thomas, a visit to the Wilfred Owen Story in Birkenhead, presentations on war films and women’s writing and a concert performance of Oh What a Lovely War by Kingsley Players.

Word Weavers, featuring former Cheshire poet laureate Andrew Rudd and virtuoso violinist Daniel Axworthy, will be back with a third fantastic evening of music and poetry, and festival chair Prof Sue Zlosnik goes gothic with a talk on Vampires and Zombies.

Budding writers will get a chance to develop their talents in two inspirational creative writing workshops.

Cheshire textile artist Sue Archer will be holding more popular book-making workshops for children and adults, and pre-school children get their very own story time.

Festival chair Prof Sue Zlosnik said: “Weaver Words again promises an exciting programme of talks, events and workshops. More than 1,000 people got involved in the first festival in 2012 and we hope to see even more people engage with us this time around.

“We are grateful to Tim Firth for agreeing to be patron again and his literary lunch at the Forest Hills Hotel on Friday, April 4 promises to be one of the highlights of the festival.

“We are also delighted to welcome back the poet laureate to Frodsham later that  evening. Her event was a sell-out last time and many people sadly were turned away. I’m sure her return visit will be one of the hot tickets of the festival.”

Weaver Words is sponsored by the Arts Council and promoted by Frodsham Community Association, with many of the events being hosted at Frodsham Community Centre.

A free 28 page brochure will soon be available to collect from Frodsham Community Centre, Dandelion Gifts, Castle Park and other publicity points around the town.

For more details see the festival website www.weaverwords.org.uk.

Tickets can be purchased online, through the box office 0845 557 7469 and in person at Frodsham Community Centre or Dandelion Gifts.

If you would like to volunteer, please get in touch with the festival manager Lynn Pegler at pm@weaverwords.org.uk.