Lord Grade, Gyles Brandreth and Toby Young will be appearing at the Isle of Wight Literary Festival.
EXCITEMENT is building ahead of next month’s Isle of Wight Literary Festival, which will bring some of Britain’s best loved writers to the Island.
Literary luminaries confirmed to appear include Louis de Bernieres, Gyles Brandreth, Lord Grade, Celia Imrie, Toby Young, Anneka Rice, Brough Scott and Raffaella Barker, who will talk on topics ranging from romance and royalty to crime and cakes.
The festival, which runs from October 12 to 14, is the first event of its kind to be held on the Island, and will include literary tours, debates, creative writing and media workshops, poetry jams, bookbinding classes, music and storytelling.
The varied bill will include events for children, a discussion on e-books hosted by Lord Grade of Yarmouth, an hour of renaissance music by Louis de Bernieres, a talk on Dracula by Bram Stoker’s grandson, Noel Dobbs, and an evening with Rebecca Chance, who will read the naughty bits from her latest 'bonkbuster’ over dinner.
Most events will be held at Northwood House, Cowes, and all profits will go towards the upkeep of the building.
A festival spokesman said: "With a remarkable literary heritage — Keats, Dickens and Tennyson were all here — and a well-established reputation as a festival venue, the Island is the perfect place to host a literary extravaganza."
For further details and tickets, visit www.isleofwightliteraryfestival.org
Tickets are also available from the County Press shop and Waterstones, Newport, or by calling 07574 937717.
Reporter: emilyp@iwcpmail.co.uk