A CREDITON bookshop has launched a new programme of free afternoon author events in January and February.

The Bookery will host the first event at 3.30pm on Thursday, January 16.

Author Ellen Wiles will be reading from her new book The Unexpected and signing copies.

She is the author of two novels and two non-fiction books. She teaches creative writing at the University of Exeter and also used to be a barrister.

Mary Morris, Artistic Director of Arvon, a charity that runs creative writing courses, events and retreats, will be joining Ms Wiles in conversation.

The Unexpected is described as literary or book-club fiction.

It follows two women in their mid-thirties, Robin and Kessie, who each want to have a family, but “the path isn’t straightforward – and then they find themselves platonically co-parenting a baby and need to figure out what to do”.

The next event will take place on Wednesday, January 29 at 3.30pm.

Local historian Tony Gale will be discussing his book Crediton and the Great Fire of 1743.

The work looks at “two striking things which happened in Crediton that year: an unusually detailed map of the town was drawn up for the lord of the manor, and just a few months later, most of the town centre was destroyed by fire”.

There is a “rich archive” of contemporary documents about the fire and its aftermath.

Mr Gale’s talk covers the period before, during and after the fire, and will reveal some “intriguing stories about life in 18th century Devon”.

He has completed an MA at the University of Exeter and works with the Crediton Area History and Museum Society, the Devon History Society and the Devon and Cornwall Record Society.

Later, author Clare Bainbridge will speak on life in ancient Rome when she visits the bookshop on Tuesday, February 11 at 3.30pm.

Ms Bainbridge has written three detective novels set in ancient Rome in around 40 BC: Unquiet Spirits, Saturn’s Gold and Citizens and Slaves.

Her stories often feature food eaten at the time, its preparation and associated rituals. Clare will talk about the culture of this period and the profile that food and its preparation played in the lives of the Romans.

On Thursday, February 13 at 3.30pm, author and painter Sarah Easter Collins will be discussing her debut novel Things Don’t Break On Their Own, about a schoolgirl who vanished and “a shattering revelation” 25 years later.

She will be joined by fellow author and harpist Hazel Prior who will be linking pieces of music to passages from the Sarah’s book which will be a first for The Bookery.

All of the events are free with no registration required.