A five-day spring literary festival, featuring bestselling South West authors, is taking place at Dyrham Park to raise money for major work to the National Trust property, near Bath.

The evening events take place between April 7-11, from 7pm, showcasing a different author discussing their work each night.

Giving their support are David Lassman, co-author of the Regency Detective series set in Bath, Deborah Kay Davies, now long-listed for the prestigious Baileys Prize for Reasons She Goes To The Woods, Sarah Hilary, author of hotly-tipped thriller Someone Else’s Skin, Jem Roberts, the comedy historian and biographer of Douglas Adams, and Ivor Crewe, author of explosive current affairs expose The Blunders of Our Governments.

Dyrham Park is running a fundraising campaign to pay for a new roof and boiler, and fix the crumbling stonework on the 400-year-old mansion.

The talks will take place in the historical Tenants’ Hall, and Dyrham Park perry and canapés will be served to accompany the sessions.

The National Trust is fundraising for £500,000 towards a £3.5 million project to repair the roof at Dyrham Park which will safeguard the future of the historic house.

The trust has already been able to find £3m for the project and is spending this year raising the rest of the remaining £500,000.

With over 160,000 visitors to Dyrham Park each year, the trust has pledged to keep the house open, even during the building work, which is scheduled to start in 2015.

To find out more and buy tickets, priced at £10 each, go to nationaltrust.org.uk/events or call 0844 249 1895. All ticket proceeds go towards the Dyrham appeal.

The Corsham Bookshop is supporting the events, and will be selling the authors’ signed books at each evening session.