A WIRRAL author and professor is set to talk about his trips to Norway in the search for Trolls at Bebington Central Library.

Viking professor and knight of Norway, Steve Harding will discuss his recent trips to the fjords and the remote volcanic corners of Iceland to find out about the origins of the 'other people', also known as Trolls at the event on Monday, July 2 from 6.30pm.

Embedded in folklore, these trolls come from the forests, mountains and wilderness of Scandinavia just like the Vikings who came and settled in Wirral more than 1,000 years ago.

Steve told the Globe: "I will talk about their origins with the Vikings – starting with an exchange of poetry in the wilderness between a Viking traveller and a troll-woman - and how the culture spread across Scandinavia from medieval to modern times, entrained in legend and folk-culture, influencing great authors and composers like Ibsen and Grieg – whose house was called Troldhaugen – the mound of the Trolls.

"One of the most famous Vikings of all time, the fearsome Egil Skallagrimsson, believed to have visited Wirral to fight in the Battle of Brunanburh was descended from someone with a nickname Halftroll.

"Trolls are in the landscape and come out in the dark, rarely liking sunlight, sometimes turning to stone or destroyed by lightning.

"They could be smaller than humans or 8 foot giants.

"Some people see them – some don’t.

"Fortunately you could outwit them, they were not the brightest of beings. And remember - in a challenge, trolls always lose... as fans of Harry Potter and the Hobbit will know, so don’t be too frightened."

The event is the culmination of the highly popular Wirral Libraries Troll Trail Festival as part of Wirral’s Festival of Firsts.

Tickets are £3 and will include a copy of Steve's latest book, get yours by visiting https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/235052