The organisers of Bradford Book Festival are joining forces with the team behind National Refugee Week to compile a list of books by or about refugees.

It will be used by schools as an educational resource, as well as a recommended reading list for libraries and reading groups. It is hoped that the list will be published on the Bradford Book Festival website in time for its launch next month.

Bradford Libraries reading promotions officer Paula Truman and Deb Collett, one of the organisers of Refugee Week activities in the district, plan to ask well-known Bradford figures, including celebrities, writers and civic leaders, for their favourite books by or about refugees.

And they are appealing to the public to put forward their favourites too. The results will be included on the list.

National Refugee Week, from June 20 to 26, coincides with Bradford Book Festival, running from June 18 to July 2.

Paula said: "Refugee Week raises awareness of the contribution that refugees and asylum seekers make to the countries they come to live in, and we thought this was a great way of highlighting this.

"There are many important and classic novels that deal with issues relevant to refugees or migration. The Grapes of Wrath is one, and the Diary of Anne Frank is about persecution, a theme relevant to refugees.

"People love lists, you only have to look at the success of the BBC's Big Read which compiled a list of the top 100 of the nation's favourite books to see that, so we thought we would have our own."

Paul and Deb plan to contact people like the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Valerie Binney, and the Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend David James, about contributing to the list.

The book Paula has chosen is A Distant Shore by Caryl Phillips.

"It's not directly about a refugee but one of the characters has been a refugee and he talks about the shocking details of his past, it's a very powerful and beautifully written book," said Paula.

Deb's choice is "anything by Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiongo. I particularly like his writings about prison life."

Paula plans to approach some of the writers appearing at Bradford Book Festival, including John Hegley, Gervase Phinn, Helen Cross and Joolz Denby, about their recommended refugee books.

National Refugee Week events will include an African Day, a pottery workshop and exhibitions at Cartwright Hall and Shipley Library.

Brochures detailing the programme of events for both Bradford Book Festival and National Refugee Week in Bradford will be available shortly in public buildings across the district.

Anyone who would like to suggest a book for the refugee book list is asked to ring Paula Truman on (01274) 433915

or e-mail paula.truman@bradford.gov.uk