COLEFORD'S Festival of Words continues this week, with a 'Bookshop Jam' – encouraging people to bring along a musical instrument and a favourite song to share on Wednesday evening in the Forest Bookshop, St John Street, at 7pm. Entry is free.

This is followed on Thursday evening by a special presentation called 'Lives, Loves and Locations'. Two best-selling authors will be coming together to read from their latest works, and discuss their approaches to fiction writing.

Sheila O'Flanagan, author of 15 top selling novels, with her last, Better Together, topping the Sunday Times Book Club's charts earlier this year, is being teamed up by Wye Valley based author Julia Gregson, whose novels have twice been selected by the Richard and Judy Book Club.

Ian Claridge of the Forest Bookshop csaid: "We thought it would be fascinating to have two diverse and well travelled authors discuss their approach to novel writing and plots, and the locations they set the action in. They have such diverse backgrounds too - Julia was a journalist for Rolling Stone and other top magazines and newspapers, while Sheila was a banking high flyer before chalking up over four million sales of her books."

Ian will be chairing a question and answer session and discussion with the audience following a reading from both the authors.

The event is at Coleford Baptist Church Hall in Newland Street, at 7.30pm.

The Festival, now in its sixth year, also has a Children's Fun Day from 10am to 4pm, with street entertainers from 1-4pm.

Details of all the festival events can be found at http://www.forestbookshop.com">www.forestbookshop.com.