World Book Day is Thursday 4 March and the most local event to Hedge End on the charity’s programme is the evening with bestselling author Roma Tearne at Central Library, Civic Centre, Commercial Road, Southampton, SO14 7LW, at 6.30 on Thursday 4 March.

Roma Tearne was only ten years old when she fled Sri Lanka with her parents in 1964. War had broken out, and her family, in search of safety, embarked on a 21 day sea voyage to England, eventually arriving in Southampton.

Roma gained her Master's degree at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford, and was recently awarded a fellowship in the visual arts by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of Great Britain.

Many of her books reflect her Sri Lankan heritage. Her first novel Mosquito was shortlisted for the Costa First Book Award in 2008, the Authors’ Club First Novel Award, the Kiriyama Prize and the Waverton Good Read Award. Her latest novel Brixton Beach is a featured book on Channel Four’s TV book club. 

On Thursday there will be a question and answer session followed by a book signing.

Tickets are £5 and can be purchased from Southampton Guildhall Box Office, Civic Centre. Telephone 023 8063 2601 or email southamptonguildhall.boxoffice@livenation.co.uk (please note there is a booking fee of £1.95 for bookings made by telephone or email).

Concessions are available.  

For more information about World Book Day see the World Book Day website and Hedgeendpeople story, ‘World Book Day Thursday 4 March and New Reference Sources at Hedge End Library’.