The final chapter has now been opened in the countdown to St Albans’ first literary festival.

A special event was hosted by the Clarion Hotel on Monday to officially launch the festival to supporters and sponsors, just over one year to the day since it was conceived during a conversation on Twitter.

Herts Advertiser editor Matt Adams joined the rest of the LitFest management team in celebrating how the four-day festival has developed over the past 12 months, and thanking the local community for their support.

The St Albans Literary Festival runs from November 6-9 at key locations across the city centre including the cathedral, St Michael’s Manor and Waterstones.

Director Claire Walsh said: “It is thrilling to be launching the first St Albans Literary Festival. Months of hard work have culminated in a fantastic programme to rival some of the big established literary festivals.

“The support that we have received is a reflection of how highly the people of St Albans value literature. It’s going to be a fantastic few days and i’m finding it incredibly hard to choose between events to attend!”

The popularity of the festival means certain events are already selling out fast, so make sure you book your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Tickets for all events are available from the website at www.stalbansliteraryfestival.co.uk, or from the festival box office, which has been kindly hosted by Dagnall Street Baptist Church in their café. The box office is open from Monday to Saturday 10am-2pm. St Albans Literary Festival is presented by the Herts Advertiser in association with The Book Midwife.