The library, in Southdown Road, Southwick, was opened last year by Mike Coleman, the then deputy leader of West Sussex County Council. The building will be one year old on Tuesday, January 22, and the event will be marked by a visit by author Pauline Rowson.

She will be visiting on the day to talk about her best-selling crime and marine mystery novels – Tide of Death, In For the Kill and Deadly Waters – which are set around the Solent and feature sailing detective Andy Horton, based in Portsmouth.

Pauline's novel In Cold Daylight is a thriller inspired by the tragic true story of a firefighter killed in action, and has been chosen to help promote World Book Day and the Spread the Word campaign.

World Book Day, designated by the United Nations as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, is marked in more than 100 countries around the globe.

Brad Watson, county council cabinet member responsible for libraries, said he was delighted Pauline would be visiting Southwick library to mark the first milestone in its history.

He added: "The library has been a great success since it first opened its doors. It is gratifying to see how many people have made use of its facilities during the first year of operation."

The talk will take place at 7pm and tickets – priced £2, including a glass of wine – are available from the library of by calling 01273 592150.