Acclaimed writer Cole Moreton has agreed to include Preston in his exclusive national tour, in what is another major boost to the city as it strives to increase its arts and culture sector.

The award-winning author will visit The Larder in Lancaster Road on Friday 18 October for an intimate night of songs and readings inspired by his debut novel The Light Keeper.

The Light Keeper is a story of love, hope, faith and longing set in the stunning landscape around the famous chalk cliffs at Birling Gap on the South Coast. 

Moreton said: “I’ve got happy memories of Preston, so I’m really excited to be coming back. The Larder is a great project and a fine venue for a night like this, so it’s going to be terrific. Come along and let me tell you some stories and sing you some songs.”

The author presents a live performance of words and songs exploring the world of this novel and the real-life stories that inspired it. The music comes from the album of the same name, available on Spotify and iTunes now, by his band The Light Keepers, a collaboration with the musician David Perry.

Read more: 90 years on this Preston choir is still in good voice

Interviewer and broadcaster Moreton has written for The Guardian and The Telegraph. His Radio 4 documentary, The Boy Who Gave His Heart Away, won Audio Moment of the Year at the Arias and Best Writing at the New York Festival, before being made into a book of the same name.

His book Is God Still An Englishman? How Britain Lost Its Faith (But Found New Soul) explores the dramatic changes in British identity, culture and spirituality in recent decades and was described by the Observer as “taking the spiritual temperature of the nation”.

His non-fiction debut Hungry for Home was shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys prize for first book in any genre, alongside Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. 

Moreton has also written and presented programmes for Radio 4 exploring how the rich and the poor see each other in London and the relationship between Calais and Dover, where migrants continue to risk their lives in small boats.

In his journalistic work, Moreton has covered many of the big stories of our times, from 9/11 to the death and funeral of Nelson Mandela, and from the murder of Milly Dowler to the London 2012 Olympics. 

He was named Interviewer of the Year at the Press Awards for his work with the Mail on Sunday and has interviewed some of the most famous, influential or notorious people in the world.

Tickets for The Light Keeper event cost £5 and are available from WeGotTickets, or you can pay on the door at The Larder. Doors are at 7pm and the show will start at 7.30pm. Food and drink will be available as part of the event.

Read more: See what’s on in Preston

Will you be going to the event with Cole Moreton? Let us know in the comments below.