A DEBUT Colchester novelist will be making her first local public talk at the historic St Leonards at the Hythe Church next week.

Holly Pester will give a talk about her recently published debut novel The Lodgers which follows a young woman who becomes obsessed with a lodger she has never meet.

The Telegraph gave the novel – which is told over 54 short chapters - a four star rating calling it a “sharply-honed debut” while The Guardian said it was a “stylistically eccentric novel” which holds a “pressing, political truth”.

Gazette: Author - Holly Pester Author - Holly Pester (Image: Submitted)

Holly Pester, who also teaches at Essex University in the creative writing centre, chose St Leonard’s for her first public local appearance due to its “medieval splendour”.

Gazette: Community - The Church of St Leonard at the Hythe continues to host events such as Christmas carols, shownCommunity - The Church of St Leonard at the Hythe continues to host events such as Christmas carols, shown (Image: Newsquest)

St Leonards at the Hythe is classed as a redundant church but is open weekly on a Tuesday at 12pm to 2pm as well as being open to the public for events such as carol services. 

The event will be chaired by writer and teacher Emma Kittle-Pey and will take place on Friday May 31 at 7pm.

Entry is free with donations to the volunteer group Friends of the church and for more information about the historic church visit the Friends of St Hythe's Facebook page