States of Independence, Leicester, Saturday 19 March

On Saturday an "independent press day" will be held at the Clephan Building, De Montfort University, Oxford Street, Leicester. The States of Independence website promises:

Stalls from dozens of independent publishers.

Workshops, readings and book launches.

Independent presses from across the region (and some from around the country) will be on site, together with many regional writers whose work is published by large and small independent publishers.

It goes on to say:

Sixty writers, mostly from the East Midlands, will be reading from their work at an events programme to accompany an equal number of independent publishers and writers' organisations staffing bookstalls and displaying their work.

Authors include nationally known figures such as Bali Rai and Maria Allen. Events planned include the first outing for the shortlist of the East Midlands Book Awards and panels on everything from sex and sensibility through to the Moomins and philosophy. There are surgeries with a literature agent, readings galore and we look at genres ranging from speculative fiction through to graphic novels.

The day is organised by Five Leaves Publications in Nottingham and the Creative Writing Team at De Montfort University.

I shall be going along and may also look in at the Green Light cafe being run by Transition Leicester.