A BOOKSTORE in Penarth will be holding a series of events over August, including an author meet and an open writing workshop.

Griffin Books on Windsor Road will hold a ‘meet the author’ event in the coming week.

On Thursday, August 15 from 6pm, the shop is hosting a book launch and signing with Cowbridge resident Jo Thomas. Ms Thomas’s previous novels include Sunset over the Cherry Orchard, set in Spain, and The Honey Farm on the Hill, set in Greece. Her new book My Lemon Grove Summer, is a summer romance set among the lemon trees of Sicily.

To complement the book’s setting, Griffin Books will be serving prosecco and Italian nibbles on the evening.

Swansea-based author Rebecca John will be holding a creative writing workshop on August 22, from 6 to 7.30pm.

The event will be unticketed, but attendees are asked to make a donation to Velindre Cancer Centre.

Ms John, the author of Clown’s Shoes and The Haunting of Henry Twist will be climbing the Great Wall of China for Velindre, and hopes the event will help kickstart her fundraising goals.

She said: “Last year, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It isn’t life-threatening, but symptoms include widespread pain and extreme fatigue and it must be managed. Being an active and ambitious person, I wanted to focus my energies on something challenging.

“Trekking the Great Wall for Velindre was the perfect opportunity – not only could I physically challenge myself, but I could do some good along the way too.”

Tickets for author meets are £5 each and can be bought on 02920 706455, via ticketsource.co.uk/griffinbooks or on the door.