Full range of Speakers confirmed and tickets now on sale for Sherborne Literary Festival

The full range of speakers have been confirmed for The Sherborne Literary Festival, which is held in the picturesque Dorset town of Sherborne from 14 - 18 October; tickets and the Festival programme are available from the Sherborne Literary Society website:www.sherborneliterarysociety.com

The Festival emphasises its focus on "books not celebrities" but it would be hard not to recognise many of the speakers taking part including a fabulous finale featuring two of the UK's finest foreign correspondents in conversation at the Digby Hall. Both Christina Lamb and Kate Adie have reported from war zones around the world, bringing breaking news to the reading, listening and viewing public.

Christina is an award-winning journalist for the Sunday Times. She received the Prix Bayeux Calvados for her reporting from Afghanistan and the Foreign Press Association Award for her reporting on the war on terrorism. She has written five books includingI Am Malalathat she co-authored with Malala Yousafzai. Her new book isFarewell Kabul.

Also making her second appearance at the Festival in the past two years is Kate Adie. Until 2002, Kate was the BBC's Chief News Correspondent covering wars, uprisings and atrocities worldwide. Her reporting skills won her The British Academy Television Richard Dimbleby Award and the Mungo Park Medal. She has written four books and is working on a fifth. She presents From Our Own Correspondent on BBC Radio 4. It should be a fascinating conversation.

Another famous face will be HRH Princess Michael of Kent who on the opening day speaks about her latest book,Quicksilver,published in October. The outspoken Princess has a history of headline-grabbing comments when promoting her books on European royalty and will no doubt prove to be a very entertaining speaker.

Hearing about other people's lives is often inspirational and can kick start a desire to write about one's own. The Festival is running a workshop with Sophie King on just that topic. CalledWriting Your Life,Sophie King has several unique tips and tricks on how to get you started.

For those looking for further inspiration with their own writing Diana Cambridge reprises her role at the Festival of Writer in Residence. She will be offering help and advice to writers just beginning or those who have reached a tricky part of their work and are unsure how to go ahead. Writers can email up to 2,000 words of their work to reach Diana by 6 October. She will provide a written critique and a 15-minute pre-booked consultation. Writers are also welcome to bring their work and ideas to her drop-in writing clinic and have a 15-minute chat between events.

Aspiring writers who have submitted their poems and short stories in the Festival competition, Sherborne Shorts, will find out the winners if they attendFizz, Fun and Fabulous Companywith Carole Matthews and James Crowden on the final Sunday and held at Sherborne's Eastbury Hotel.

One of the best points about the Festival is the chance it offers readers to meet their favourite novelists. This year local book clubs have been invited to read the same book -The Italian Wife- and then pose questions to the author, Kate Furnivall. From the questions the Festival organisers will choose ten and invite the author to come along to answer them and talk about her writing.

If all that reading is making you yearn for a breath of fresh air, then the Dorset Wildlife Trust has the perfect solution. On Friday 16 October Kate Bradbury will be getting outdoors with a "Walk and Talk" in Sherborne Castle Grounds and Castle Gardens. An RHS qualified gardener and established garden journalist, she is passionate about organic, wildlife friendly gardening and gardens on a small patch of land in Hackney. She spent five years as a staff writer for Gardeners' World and she is the author ofThe Wildlife Gardener- creating a haven for birds, bees and butterflies.

Still on the wildlife theme, Mark Carwardine will be going on "The Trail of the Whale". Mark is a zoologist, an active and outspoken conservationist, an award-winning writer, a TV and radio presenter, a widely published wildlife photographer, and a magazine columnist. Rounding off the Wildlife Day will be Tony Juniper, a British campaigner, writer, sustainability advisor and environmentalist. He is recognised for his work as Executive Director of Friends of the Earth and is the author ofWhat has Nature Ever Done for Us?

Fostering a love of literature in the next generation is also key aim of the Festival and there is a full programme of events for children and young people. The schools programme is based at the Gryphon School but speakers will be visiting several different venues to talk and hold workshops. The Simon Digby Charitable Trust has sponsored all of the events for children and young people.

The Festival is now in its fourth year and becoming a well-established and appreciated event with many of Sherborne's businesses, like headline sponsor residential and commercial estate agent Knight Frank, lending their support to ensure it continues to grow and attract top international names.

For tickets and the full programme visit and book online:http://www.sherborneliterarysociety.com/festival/or go to the Sherborne Tourism Information Centre to pick up a programme and tickets.

For further details please email Sue Adams, Events Co-ordinator:sueadams.sls@gmail.com

Further press information and high res images from Jane Adkins, A Head for PR Ltd, T/: 01935 813114; M/: 07960698089 or E/:jane@aheadforpr.co.uk

Oct 2015 (SLF 04)