Legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen will be showing off his performance skills at the first Chiswick Book Festival.

The Lord of the Rings star will be appearing at St Michael and All Angels Church Parish Hall on Saturday from 10.30am, where he will read extracts from the Ghost Hunter series written by Michelle Paver, who will also be attending.

The event is part of the Children’s Book Festival, which will also see Anthony Horowitz and Jacqueline Wilson taking part.

Other highlights of the three-day-long festival, which was due to kick off today, will include appearances from crime author Dan Waddell and Chiswick-born Sam Delaney, who has just been named as the new editor of Heat.

Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs will be talking in the audiobooks session, while festival-goers will be able to put their knowledge to the test in a book-themed quiz supper.

For a full listing of events visit chiswickbookfestival.org.