Published Tuesday 11 February 2014 at 16:11
Award winning Blackburn author Josephine Cox has kindly agreed to be a patron for Blackburn with Darwen’s library service.
She will be attending a plaque unveiling ceremony to mark the occasion at Blackburn Central Library on February 13th at 1pm.
The international author visit to her home town coincides with the publication of her 50th book, The Runaway Woman.
Damian Talbot, Executive Member of Leisure, Culture and Young People, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Josephine has agreed to be a patron for our library service. She is an international bestselling author and we are very proud that she’s local born and bred.
“Libraries are at the heart of communities, are welcoming, trusted places and they’re free!! They provide a hub of activity for all the family with a packed events programme as well as free PC use and a wide range of services, including Sunday opening at Blackburn which is also the home of Advice for All.”
The author is meeting a group of school children from 10.30am until 12pm, then hosting an informal drop-in session meeting her fans from 12.00 until 1pm.
She is also holding an audience with Josephine Cox at Thwaites Theatre later that evening for Child Action North West.
Josephine Cox was born in Blackburn, one of ten children. At the age of sixteen, she met and married her husband Ken, and had two sons.
When the boys started school, she decided to go to college and eventually gained a place at university but was unable to take this up as it would have meant living away from home.
Instead, she went into teaching – and started to write her first full-length novel.
She won the ‘Superwoman of Great Britain’ Award, for which her family had secretly entered her, at the same time as her novel was accepted for publication.
She is now a No.1 bestselling author with over 50 books to her name.