WINCHESTER readers, this is your opportunity to choose your three favourite books as part of the fun of the city's 27th Writers' Conference, Festival and Bookfair planned for the weekend of June 29 to July 1.

Entry cards may be found in most High Street shops, cafés, restaurants, arts centres, schools and libraries.

Is there a book you loved as a child? Is it a desert-island choice? Perhaps it is a crime or romance, maybe a biography or a book about a hobby.

Nominate up to three of your favourite books. You could win as first prize a £100 book voucher or one of six runner-up prizes of £20 in book vouchers.

Jacqueline Wilson, the out-going Children's Laureate, will draw the winning cards during the Big Lit Party, from 1.30 to 2.30pm, on Saturday, June 30, at The Guildhall.

She is the plenary speaker at the conference, which offers a rich source of information and support from industry specialists for both new and established authors.

The conference, which is at the University of Winchester, includes 60 lectures, 15 writing competitions, including the Young Writers' Poetry Competition sponsored by the Hampshire Chronicle, a two-day bookfair, 20 writing workshops and one-to-one appointments with literary agents and commissioning editors.

Both aspiring and published writers are invited to harness their creative ideas and develop their technical and marketing skills under the guidance of 60 authors, playwrights, poets and producers. The weeklong writing workshops that follow the event will include scriptwriting; writing for children; creating, writing, editing and marketing fiction; and writing and marketing non-fiction articles.

Barbara Large, conference director, said: "More than 70 aspiring writers have become published mainstream writers as a direct result of networking at this busy conference. We welcome new talent."

For further information, conference programmes and entry forms for Winchester's Favourite Book, contact Barbara at the Faculty of Arts, University of Winchester; tel 01962 827238, email Barbara.Large@ winchester.ac.uk or visit www.writersconference.co.uk