YEOVIL Literary Festival 2024 has a stellar line-up with top writers, historians and poets coming to talk about and read from their latest works. Over the week from 18th to 27th October, the main festival hosts such household names as Martin Clunes, Wayne Sleep, Fern Britton, gardener Carol Klein, Clarkson’s hilarious sidekick Kaleb Cooper and lexicographer Susie Dent.

The festival gets an early start with a sold-out event at Yeovil’s St John the Baptist Church on Thursday 9th October when Rebus’ creator Sir Ian Rankin comes to talk about his latest book, Midnight and Blue.

But if you missed this event, there’s plenty more crime – true and fictional – to keep you on the edge of your seat – Andrew Child talking about In Too Deep, his fifth Jack Reacher collaboration with his brother Lee Child, and Vasseem Khan talking about City of Destruction, his latest Malabar House story, both on Saturday 26th, former Masterchef winner, food writer and cook Orlando Gibbons on his debut novel, Knife Skills for Beginners, on Sunday 27th, and her Honour Judge Wendy Joseph KC on Saturday 26th with her new book, Rough Justice, including four gripping murder trials, all at the Wheeldon Suite at Westlands entertainment centre.

The festival’s principal venues are the Wheeldon Suite and ballroom at Westlands – Martin Clunes is at the ballroom on Thursday 24th talking about his new book, Meetings with Remarkable Animals – but there are also events on Friday 18th at Yeovil Library, where festival favourite Hazel Prior will be talking about Gone with the Penguins, the conclusion of her Veronica McCreedy stories, and storyteller Sharon Jacksties, on her latest book, A History of the World in 100 Tales.

Storyteller and historian, Somerset-based Amy Jeffs comes to the Wheeldon Suite on Friday 25th to talk about Saints: A New Legendary of Heroes, Humans and Magic, in which she uncovers the strange and wonderful legends of saints and the window they provide into the medieval mind.

Also on Friday 25th, comedian Paul Sinha will be at Westlands Ballroom, talking about One WSinha Lifetime, his memoir of life as a traditional Bengali son destined for a career in medicine, who is also a gay main wanting to live his own life.

For those who are interested in prints and woodcuts, particularly with a wildlife and nature subject, Angela Harding is a star. She is coming to Yeovil Literary Festival on Saturday 26th, at the Wheeldon Suite, talking about her beautiful new book, Still Waters and Wild Waves. It’s a collection of paintings and prints, pages from her sketchbooks and photos from her travels.

Another writer who puts the natural world centre stage is Susannah Walker whose book, The Hard Way, is (appropriately) about walking. Speaking at the Wheeldon Suite on Saturday 26th, she will talk about why it is radical for women to walk alone in the countryside, when men have been doing so for centuries? Setting off to follow the oldest paths in England, the Ridgeway and the Harrow Way, she found a landscape shaped by men, from prehistoric earthworks to today’s army bases, but also encountered Edwardian feminists, rebellious widows, forgotten writers and artists – their anonymous sisters.

Other speakers include poet laureate Simon Armitage, scientist Richard Fortey, slam poet Vanessa Kisuule, TV wildlife presenter Kate Humble, historical novelist Conn Iggulden, Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver, historian Helen Castor, former politician Alan Johnson, professional aviator Scott Bateman, comedian and best-selling children’s author David Walliams and Irish novelist Donal Ryan.

Coming back to crime, the main festival’s final event brings Julian Clary to Yeovil to talk about his new book, a crime novel, Curtain Call to Murder about … yes, a murder on stage! The national treasure and multi-talented comedian, actor and author, will be in the Westlands Ballroom, on Monday 28th October, at 8pm.

However, that is not quite the end – there is an additional event, on Saturday 16th November, again in the ballroom, when Welsh-born stage and television actor and Hollywood star Luke Evans will talk about his memoir, Boy From the Valleys.

For times and full details visit www.yeovilliteraryfestival.co.uk