A HAMPSHIRE-based international writing festival has attracted Britain's children's laureate to give its keynote speech.

Jacqueline Wilson, author of the phenomenally successful Tracy Beaker books, will address delegates from all over the world at the 27th Winchester Writers' Conference next month.

More than 20 million copies of Ms Wilson's books have been sold in the UK alone.

Ms Wilson heads a line-up of more than 60 published authors, poets, playwrights, commissioning editors, literary agents and book production specialists who will give a series of workshops, informal lectures, seminars and one-to-one appointments, designed to help writers at all stages.

The festival, which takes place at the University of Winchester from June 29 to July 1, followed by a week of workshops until July 6, also has 15 writing competitions.

Two of the competitions - feature writing and poetry - are sponsored by the Southern Daily Echo.

The event was officially launched at a gala party at Serle's House in Winchester hosted by Hampshire County Council chairman Councillor Pat West.

Barbara Large, founder-director of the festival, said: "We welcome all aspiring and published writers to join this event to learn how to harness their creative ideas into marketable short stories, books for children, novels, and plays for radio, television, screen and stage."