A book festival is being launched in Stoke-on-Trent with an ambition "to make books and the joy they bring accessible to every single person".

The inaugural Stoke Book Festival will be hosted in Stoke from 3 to 10 October this year.

The week-long festival is presented by Stoke Minster in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council Libraries, Visit Stoke-on-Trent, YMCA North Staffs and the National Literacy Trust.

The event will feature a programme of author talks, workshops, family activities, school events and community celebrations designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading, storytelling and creativity.

Simon Drakeford, Communities and Arts Manager at Stoke Minster and Director of Stoke Book Festival, said: "We are excited to bring Stoke Book Festival to Stoke.

"The city already has a diverse artistic and cultural offering, and the Book Festival will further enrich it, helping to mark Stoke-on-Trent as a destination for culture and the arts."

Confirmed authors include AJ West, author of the Sunday Times bestseller The Betrayal of Thomas True; Verity Babbs, art historian; Helena Attlee, an author and journalist specialising in gardens; and Mel Sheratt, a Stoke-on-Trent author of 26 novels.

The full programme is due to be announced in August.

According to Stoke Book Festival, the core ambition of the programme is to support the city's ongoing efforts to tackle literacy poverty in Stoke-on-Trent.

In the National Year of Reading, the festival will complement and celebrate existing literacy initiatives including the National Literacy Trust's Story Quest, Stoke 100 Reads and Tales in the Park.

Simon Drakeford added: "The festival seeks to make books and the joy they bring accessible to every single person. Together we can challenge the literacy deprivation that holds so many people back.

"We have a fantastic programme that works to make books and all the joy they bring accessible for all.

"The support we have received so far has blown us away and confirms that the Stoke Book Festival will be fantastic."

With accessibility "at the heart of the festival", Stoke Book Festival explained that many events will be free to attend with ticketed events priced "as affordably as possible".

There will also be networking and development opportunities for local authors and writers.

The festival team, led by Stoke Minster, is also inviting business, organisations, and individuals to support the event through a range of sponsorship opportunities.