World Book Day

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by one of Belfast's most famous son's CS Lewis. It was published in 1950.

Most of the novel is set in Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures that one White Witch has ruled for 100 years of deep winter. Four children enter the kingdom through a wardrobe and begin to fulfill a prophecy with the help of lion Aslan and other creatures.

Divorcing Jack is the debut novel by Bangor author Colin Bateman. It was released in 1995.

Set in Belfast, the novel’s events follow a turbulent period in the life of married, cynical and usually drunk journalist Dan Starkey. Dan’s wife Patricia leaves him after a drunken party in which he kisses student Margaret. What follows is a darkly comical tale of murder and mystery.

Belfast man Robert McLiam Wilson was homeless after dropping out of university, a period of his life which heavily influenced his writing. Now living in Paris, he has written for Charlie Hebdo magazine.

Eureka Street was published in 1996. It is set in Belfast six months before and after another ceasefire. It is the story of Chuckie Lurgan, fat, Protestant and poor, who suddenly becomes wealthy by various legal but immoral means; and of Jake Jackson, Catholic reformed tough guy, who has been abandoned by his English girlfriend and is looking for love. Meanwhile the strange letters ‘OTG’ start appearing on walls and paving stones throughout the city.

Australian-born and Northern Ireland educated author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers now lives and works in Brooklyn. He went to Hazelwood Integrated College before graduating from the University of Ulster in 2001.

His second children's book, Lost and Found, which he wrote and illustrated, was published in 2005. It won the Nestle Smarties Book Prize Gold Award and was the Blue Peter Book of the Year.

Armagh-born novellist Stuart Neville made his breakthrough with The Twelve in 2009, which was later rebranded The Ghost of Belfast for the US market.

In the book, former paramilitary killer Gerry Fegan is haunted by his victims, twelve souls who shadow his every waking day and scream through every drunken night. Just as he reaches the edge of sanity they reveal their desire: vengeance on those who engineered their deaths. From the greedy politicians to the corrupt security forces, the street thugs to the complacent bystanders who let it happen, all must pay the price.