The first speakers have been announced for the Lake District Book Festival in June.
Tickets go on sale for the event in Cartmel on April 8.
The line-up includes Sebastian Faulks, Sarah Hall, Rory Stewart, Sam Leith, Katie Hale, Penny Bradshaw, Justin Marozzi, Avi Shlaim, Sophie Ambler, Jane Horrocks, Zeynab Badawi, Matt Frei, Lamorna Ash, Margaret MacMillan, David McWilliams, Hallie Rubenhold, Philip Marsden, Lyse Doucet, Candice Carty-Williams, Lee Schofield, Irini Tzortzoglou, Lindsey Hilsum, Samira Ahmed, Jon Lee Anderson, Graham Robb, Frances Wilson, Bee Wilson, Michael Heseltine and Christopher de Bellaigue.
Talks, panels and interviews will cover topics ranging from politics, Beatrix Potter, Afghanistan, children’s literature, Central Asia, Sultan Suleyman, France, Barrow-in-Furness, slavery, the Antarctic, the psychology of food, Persian poetry, Windermere, The Beatles, minerals, Indian poetry, assisted dying, celebrity bunfights, money, the future of farming, Versailles, true crime, the history of Britain and more.
One of the stand-out events, organisers said will be the encounter between former Penrith & The Border MP Rory Stewart and Channel 4 news anchor, Matt Frei.
The subject of their talk will be Britain’s Place in the World. Festival director Christopher de Bellaigue said: “Expect home truths and bold ideas from two big beasts of politics and punditry – and maybe, just maybe, a path to a more confident Britain in a world in flux.”
Festival producer Charlotte Fairbairn added: “Putting together an event such as this from a standing start, Christopher and I have met with nothing but open hearts and minds from everyone who works at the racecourse, from residents of the village of Cartmel itself and from the literary community at large.
“We are looking forward to a great weekend this year – and to a festival that will bring debate and interest to the Cumbria for many years to come.”
