PLAYWRIGHT Alan Bennett and TV presenter Anne Robinson will be in Cheltenham on Sunday to announce the winner of the inaugural David Vaisey Prize for Gloucestershire libraries.

The panel of judges, of which The Weakest Link presenter is chair, have whittled down the entrants to four finalists: Longlevens, Brockworth, Bream and a combined entry from Tuffley and Matson.

The winning library will receive a prize of £5,000 with the three runners up receiving £1,000.

The Vaisey Prize encourages readers of all ages to borrow more books, read and discuss titles, as well as sparking community support and help from volunteers.

David Vaisey CBE, who was head of the Bodleian Library at Oxford University from 1986 until 1996, has dedicated his life to libraries. 

He said: “Technology has changed libraries and more information is available online but gathering information is very different from reading a book and being intrigued and moved by it. 

“Libraries are about knowledge,” he added.