World Book Day 2008 in the UK will take place on Thursday March 6.

Set up by UNESCO as a worldwide enjoyment of books and reading, the day is celebrated annually with a host of events and activities in schools, libraries and at numerous participating booksellers, school children are entitled to receive a World Book Day £1 book token.

One of the aims of the day is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading and the token allows them to choose a book of their own.

Hertforshire schools, libraries and bookshops are holding a number of exciting events to celebrate World Book Day.

Events in libraries include an evening talk by Oxhey author Katharine McMahon, who has been shortlisted for a Richard and Judy Book Club award. Katharine will give a talk on writing novels at north Watford library on Wednesday, March 5 at 7pm. Tickets are available from north Watford and Watford Central libraries. There are baby rhyme time events on Thursday, March 6 in Abbots Langley library from 10.30am to 11am and Watford Central library from 2.15pm to 2.45pm. There will also be World Book Day displays in all of the branches.

Chorleywood Bookshop is encouraging links with local schools to promote reading and to explain to the children about the World Book Day Vouchers and the books that are especially published for the event.

Chorleywood Primary School has invited Sheryl Shurville from Chorleywood Bookshop to go into the school to talk in assembly to the children and on the actual day, and some of the children will go to her bookshop to exchange their vouchers.

Borders in Watford will also be holding a number of events for World Book Day from 10am on Thursday, March 6 with story times at 10am, noon, 2pm and 4pm.

Waterstone's, Watford has World Book Day packs and is hosting a fun day with treasure hunts, readings and activities on Saturday, March 8.

There will also be a week of World Book Day events to celebrate Roald Dahl at St Mary's School Tonwell, Hertfordshire. The teachers and pupils of the school will dress-up as Roald Dahl characters from his books, a visit to the local library and share their favourite Dahl moments.

At David's Bookshop in Letchworth, there will be a special Spread the Word discussion evening on Monday, March 3 at 7.30pm for anyone to come along and recommend and discuss their favourite books and authors.

World Book Day is supported by The National Year of Reading, which aims to build a greater national passion for reading, and has sparked a series of local and national events to promote reading.

Young Writer's competition Next week the Watford Observer is launching its very own writing competition for ages 13-17 to win a place on the coveted write4kicks creative writing residential course in the summer holidays. Don't miss your chance to get writing and win this fabulous prize, plus some great runner-up prizes.

Best selling author Mo Hayder will be one of the guest speakers on the Write For Kicks course and you can read Mo's advice for young writers in next week's paper, along with the instructions for how to enter our chance of a lifetime competition.