Stratford Literary Festival is inviting readers across the UK to take part in a new survey to find the nation’s One and Only novel, the single work of fiction they would keep if they could only have one book on their shelf. The survey launched today, and people can submit their choice here.

To mark the results, the Festival will host a special event on Friday 1 November where bestselling novelist John Boyne and Shakespeare scholar Professor Emma Smith will discuss the top five most chosen novels before the overall winner is revealed live on stage.

The only criteria for submissions are that the book must be a novel, originally written and published in English.

The survey and event form part of the Stratford Literary Festival’s autumn programme, running from 29 October to 1 November, which features an extensive line up of household names, bestselling authors and important conversations.

Highlights include Celia Imrie, Damien Lewis, Greg James, Matt Baker, Lucy Porter, Marina Litvinenko, Harriet Tyce, Bonnie Garmus, Victoria Hislop, Sir Jeremy Hunt, Alexei Sayle, Nick Harkaway, Joanne Harris, Bella Mackie and Sarah Moss, who also leads the Festival’s second Writers Weekend. The programme also includes a wide range of workshops and family activities from Halloween crafting to manga, comic making and Dungeons and Dragons.

Full programme and tickets here.