THE organisers of Mansfield Readers and Writers did not have to look very far to fill a festival program with bestselling and award–winning authors.

The inaugural Mansfield Readers and Writers Festival is happening on the weekend of 4 and 5 March.

Authors Margaret Hickey, Gabriel Bergmoser, Anson Cameron and Belinda Crawford are all from the North East and proving a popular drawcard for festival–goers.

The festival offers a variety of event types.

The program includes eight author panels covering popular topics such as 'Crime time in the country', 'Memoir, what is it good for' and 'Hijacked Histories', alongside events that dive deeper into the experience of being published.

Events like 'How my writing journey started' and 'The Author Life' are opportunities for audiences to really connect with the people who wrote their favourite books.

Artistic Director Miriam Zolin is a published author with some experience in running festivals.

Ms Zolin believes that the intimacy that a town like Mansfield can offer to festival goers is one of the biggest attractions of the event.

"Authors will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a regional festival and audiences will have more opportunities to connect with their favourite writers.

"We wanted to create a program that offered something for readers and something for writers," said Ms Zolin. "Traditionally, a writers festival has authors in conversation and opportunities to purchase books and get them signed, soak up ideas and meet other readers. We have put together a program that acknowledges that many readers are also writers."

In addition to author panels, 90 minute sensory masterclasses will offer a new and exciting way to combine a love of reading and writing with 'The language of flowers' and 'In Search of Lost Wine'.

A Witty Words workshop is a great choice for authors wanting to inject comedy into their writing, or for readers who want to unpack the mystery of what makes them laugh on the page.

Above all, Mansfield Readers and Writers Festival is a place to form friendships and connections, over a shared love of storytelling.

Program and tickets are available at mansfieldreadersandwriters.com