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Children’s writer Saviour Pirotta will be visiting Lindley Library and Information Centre on Lidget Street in Huddersfield on Tuesday November 16 at 8pm.

His talk will be followed by a signing session with light refreshments at the nearby Children's Bookshop.

Popular children’s author Saviour Pirotta will be talking about his latest book ‘Firebird’. A best-selling author of over 100 children's books, Saviour is now based in Yorkshire.

Born on the small island of Malta, his parents named him after Jesus the Saviour. He has a brother called Joseph and two aunts called Mary. His father was a carpenter. With such a name, people expected him to grow up liking bible stories but, influenced by his granny, Saviour preferred pirate and ghost stories, especially the gruesome kind that keep you awake at night.

He grew up speaking three languages, English, Maltese and Italian. The official language at school, however, was English and this is where he discovered the works of Rosemary Sutcliff and CS Lewis, which were to remain a big influence on him for the rest of his life. He also liked fantasy films with lots of special effects, especially Jason and the Argonauts and The Thief of Baghdad.

As a child he used to write poems, stories and plays which he performed with friends under a huge mulberry tree in a field. He sold his first work to a local radio station for five pounds and in 1982, he moved to England with the hope of becoming a professional writer.

His first job in the UK was adapting and directing a play based on a Maltese folk tale. Needless to say, it featured pirates. After that he spent eight years working as a storyteller for the Commonwealth Institute in London, visiting schools and libraries around Britain. His first book, ‘Let the Shadows Fly’, was published in 1986. Since then he has established himself as a versatile writer with many bestsellers under his belt. He writes in English but his work has been translated into 28 languages to date.

Earlier in the day Saviour will also be signing his book from 4pm to 5pm in the Children’s Bookshop.

The Kirklees and Calderdale Children's Bookgroup is pleased to welcome Saviour in the latest of their popular author visits. The evening is free and everyone is welcome.

This free event is jointly organised by Kirklees Council, Kirklees and Calderdale Children's Bookgroup and the Children's Bookshop in Lindley. Everyone is welcome to attend and no pre-booking is required.