Authors' Club launch LitFest Online in response to the coronavirus pandemic

The Authors' Club has launched new digital initiative LitFest Online in response to the cancellation of festivals and bookshop events. 

A series of events will take place over three days from 15th–17th May, showcasing fiction, memoir and travelogues which have been published during the coronavirus lockdown. 

Authors participating in the festival include Guardian journalist Hadley Freeman, author of House of Glass (Fourth Estate), Greg Jenner who explored the history of celebrity in his book Dead Famous (Orion), and Gerald Jacobs, formerly literary editor of the Jewish Chronicle, who will discuss his novel Pomeranski (Quartet), set in post-war Jewish Brixton. Comedian Robert Webb also appears in the line-up to discuss his debut novel Come Again (Canongate). 

Novelist Sunny Singh, co-founder of the Jhalak Prize for book of the year by a writer of colour, will present readings from six works shortlisted for this year's award. Previous Jhalak Prize-winner Jacob Ross will also be at the festival to introduce sequel to The Bone Readers (Peepal Tree Press), titled Black Rain Falling (Little, Brown). 

The festival will conclude with the announcement of the winner of the 2020 Authors' Club Best First Novel Award, who has been chosen by this year's guest adjudicator, Andrew Miller. 

During the festival, chair of judges Lucy Popescu will introduce video readings from the six shortlisted authors. Including Beth O'Leary who is nominated for The Flatshare (Quercus) and Joanna Glen for her debut The Other Half of Augusta Hope (Borough Press). The winner will receive a £2,500 prize.