The Stratford Literary Festival has announced an ambitious autumn festival packed with household names, bestselling authors, important conversations and hands-on storytelling fun for families.

The festival, which runs from 29th October to 1st November, features an array of authors and experts in their fields, covering topics as diverse as the rise of the right, a world post America, and the power of hormones.

BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show host and Radio 4 Rewinder presenter, Greg James, headlines the programme with his book All The Best for the Future while Countryfile and former The One Show presenter, Matt Baker, celebrates his life with dogs. Marina Litvinenko, widow of the poisoned Russian defector, shares her campaign to get justice for his death, and the leading theatre director, Sir Nicholas Hytner, shares stories about the art of making theatre.

Brilliant fiction features large this autumn with bestselling authors Harriet Tyce, Bonnie Garmus, John Boyne, Victoria Hislop, Nick Harkaway, Joanne Harris, Bella Mackie all contributing.

Sarah Moss will lead the festival’s second Writers’ Weekend - two days of exclusive workshops sessions, with 50% of places subsidised so income is not a barrier to access.

A strong history strand at this year's festival will be lead by leading historians Sir Max Hastings and Damien Lewis, whilst Dennis Sewell considers George Downing, the elusive Civil War spy.
Amy Jeffs will retell the legend of King Arthur, and Sophie Shorland describes the race to try and wed the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I.

Current affairs and politics also have a focus in the festival line-up with former NFU chair, Baroness Minette Batters, debating the importance of farming.

Politican and Life Peer, Dame Margaret Hodge, will explain why she earned the name Battleaxe, and  poet Alycia Pirmohamed considers migration and what we mean by home.

Music also features strongly with Haircut 100 star, Nick Heyward, talking about the band’s comeback and biographers Peter Ormerod and Alexander Larman consider the life and legacy of David Bowie, ten years after his death. The festival rounds off with a celebration of the brilliant lyricism of Stephen Sondheim featuring the English Musical Theatre Orchestra.

Comedian Lucy Porter also features with Middle Aged Women get Sh*t Done, whilst Radio 4 stalwart, Alexei Sayle, talks about his life trying to change the world.

Acclaimed screenwriter, Andrew Davies, will look back at his colourful life whilst vociferous LBC presenter, Iain Dale, shares the highs and lows of a life at the forefront of current affairs and broadcasting.

Queen of Shops, Mary Portas, shares highlights from her life transforming retail, and actor and grief campaigner, Greg Wise, talks about the many types of loss.

Health issues are addressed by doctor and Radio 4's What’s Up Docs? broadcaster, Dr Xand van Tulleken and Stratford-based menopause specialist, Dr Louise Newsom.

Oddities of life are explored by V&A East Director, Gus Casely-Hayford (on objects), physicist and broadcaster, Jim Al-Kalili (on time), the poet David Larbi (on happiness), whilst writer Simon Garfield talks about the history of the pen.

As aways, festival-goers can learn new skills via a variety of workshops and visitors aged 4 to 18 are invited to get stuck in to free Halloween crafting, comic making, manga, Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer - and the crazy Donut world of best-selling comic artist, Neill Cameron.

Talking about this year's event, Festival Director, Annie Ashworth, said: “We’re proud to be embracing the National Year of Reading once again this festival. There are so many topics to discover and explore, and it’s been hard to decide what to leave out! Our audience numbers are growing and there’s a real appetite for live events. Ticket buyers want to meet authors they admire, and learn about subjects that are new to them - and we’re excited to be offering such a varied programme.”

For the full line-up, to find out more about this year's festival, and to purchase tickets, visit: stratlitfest.co.uk

Tickets go on sale to Festival Friends and Benefactors on 10th August. General sale opens on Friday 14th August.