This year’s Finchley Literary Festival has 20 events taking place over seven days at various venues in and around Finchley, from May 24 to 31. Rosy Moorhead catches up with four writers from the area who will be taking part in the various readings, workshops, discussions and performances in the line-up

THERESA MUSGROVE

Theresa is a writer and blogger who usually hides behind the alias of Mrs Angry, of the Broken Barnet blog. Although she writes about local politics, she finds it increasingly difficult to prevent irrelevant references to local history seeping into her work – her talk, at Church End Library on May 28 at 2pm, will explore the associations of Charles Dickens with many locations in Barnet, including the story of a bookmaker, a mortgage, the Sultan of Hendon, bodysnatching and two workhouses.

MIRIAM HALAHMY

Miriam is an author and poet living in Golders Green. She has published novels and short fiction for adults, teens and children, as well as two collections of poetry. Her young adult novel Hidden was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and was The Sunday Times’ Children’s Book of the Week.

She will be performing in the festival’s Poetry Palooza at Cafe Buzz on May 24, at Waterstones in Barnet on May 27, and appearing on the panel at Stephens House and Gardens in Finchley on May 31 at the festival’s Main Event.

A.L. MICHAEL

AL Michael is an author and creative therapeutic facilitator living in Mill Hill. She runs classes in writing and wellbeing, as well as creative business for writers, kids’ writing workshops and many other strange and wonderful things that allow her to use too many oversized props.

Her debut novel Wine Dark, Sea Blue was published last year by Stairwell Books. Her latest novel The Last Word is a romantic comedy published by Carina UK and will be released on May 27.

She’s currently working on two more books for Carina, due out this autumn.

She will be running two writing workshops for children at the festival, Write Here, Write Now at Friern Barnet Community Library on May 28, at 10.30am and 11.30am.

ROSIE FIORE

Rosie is the author of two best-selling novels and a novella, all published by Quercus, and two novels published by Struik in South Africa. Her novels This Year’s Black and Babies in Waiting were both long-listed for the Times Literary Awards in South Africa.

She also works as a blogger and copywriter, and lives with her husband and two sons in Mill Hill.

Rosie will be speaking at the Main Event on May 31 at Stephens House and Gardens in Finchley, as a member of the panel.