York-based author Fiona Shaw will be making a special appearance at York Central Library at 2.00pm on Saturday, 22 February 2003 courtesy of City of York Council and Time Warner Books.

Fiona, the author of the extraordinary memoir, Out of Me, will read from her debut novel, The Sweetest Thing, and will discuss her work.

The Sweetest Thing is set in 19th century York and is a novel about madness and aspirations; the hypocrisies of Victorian society and the development of photography. It is an incredibly ambitious novel, teeming with characters and bursting with ideas, and set against the backdrop of the York chocolate industry.

The novel is narrated in turn by two main characters, Harriet and Samuel. Harriet is a flither-lass from the coast who comes to York in search of employment and excitement. Samuel is a wealthy Quaker philanthropist with an ambiguous interest in the working-class girls of the city. After a chance meeting on Foss Bridge, their lives become entwined as they find themselves caught up in a tragic world of corruption and deceit.

The Sweetest Thing, which was launched at Waterstones on High Ousegate on 22 January, has been receiving rave reviews from the critics, with the Times Literary Supplement proclaiming that 'the novel triumphs through its unpretentiousness'.

Book-lovers belonging to York Library Services' reading groups have each received a copy of The Sweetest Thing and have been discussing the novel at their monthly meetings. This event, which has been generously supported by Time Warner Books, forms part of City of York Council's Read Write York initiative to encourage more people to talk about books and to promote writers living and working in the city.

David Cooper, literature development officer, City of York Council, said: "We are absolutely delighted that Fiona will be making an appearance at York Central Library. The Sweetest Thing is a wonderful first novel, which paints an incredibly evocative picture of York towards the end of the 19th century.

"The book has some powerful overarching themes, but, perhaps more importantly, it simply offers a great story which keeps you turning the pages. We are all looking forward to hearing Fiona read and answer questions about the detailed historical research that forms the basis of her book."

Tickets for this special event are free and are available from York Central Library or by contacting David Cooper on 01904 552838 or e-mail: david.cooper@york.gov.uk Advance booking is strongly recommended as there are only a handful of tickets remaining.