THE Cowbridge Book Festival is pleased to host Welsh international rugby star and hero to many, Gareth Thomas, who will present his book ‘PROUD My Biography’.

Gareth Thomas will be at St Quentin’s Suite, at The Bear Hotel, on Thursday, October 30 where he will be joined in conversation by his co-writer, the highly acclaimed sports writer and journalist Michael Calvin.

Gareth is committed to telling his story and this event, which is sponsored by The Bear Hotel, promises to be a fascinating glimpse into his inspiring and moving autobiography. He was a national hero, a sporting icon he had captained Wales and the British Lions, rugby gave him everything, except the freedom to be himself. His is the story of a man with a secret that was slowly killing him, a secret that might devastate not only his own life but also the lives of his wife, family, friends and teammates. His fear that telling the truth about his sexuality would lose him everything he loved almost sent him over the edge.

The deceit ended when Gareth became the world’s most prominent athlete to come out as a gay man. Gareth’s story transcends the world of sport to tell a universal truth about feeling like an outsider, and facing up to who you really are. He is a dedicated supporter of the charity of Childline and frequently visits schools to talk about bullying.

Award winning author Michael Calvin is currently chief sports writer for the Independent on Sunday. His Last book, The Nowhere Men, was voted the Sports Book of the Year 2014 at the British Sports Book Awards.

All proceeds from Festival events are donated to Leukemia & Lymphoma Research and The Noah’s Ark Appeal Children’s Hospital of Wales.

Details of all events can be found at www.cowbridgebookfestival.co.uk where you can also purchase tickets. Tickets are also available from TicketlineUK or from David Barnes (Dry Cleaners) on High Street, Cowbridge.