FANS of Laurel Remington’s debut novel, The Secret Cooking Club, which won The 2015 Times Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, had the opportunity to meet the author in person.

Laurel held an interactive ‘story bake-off’ as a fun half term event at Haslemere Bookshop, last Wednesday.

The novel was inspired by her three young daughters, who love to cook and eat anything sweet.

Fans of Norfolk-based Patrick Barkham, natural history writer for The Guardian, and author of books including The Butterfly Isles, which was shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize, and Badgerlands, shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize and the Wainwright Prize, can attend his talk at The Georgian Hotel, in Haslemere High Street, at 8pm, on Friday, November 10.

• “We’re particularly excited to announce the event,” bookshop owner Ian Rowley told The Herald this week. “Patrick will be talking about his new book Islander, an enticing exploration of the smallest islands of Britain.”

•Tickets for the November 10 talk are £5, redeemable against the price of the book on the night. To book call (01428) 652952 or email [email protected]