AFTER many months of planning and hard work from countless volunteers, the Stroud Book Festival opens tomorrow and the full line-up has been revealed.

The festival runs from November 2-5 at venues around Stroud including Lansdown Hall, the Subscription Rooms, the Museum in the Park, Stroud Library and Stroud Valleys Artspace.

With Ian McEwan as patron and a stellar line-up the festival promises something for everyone, with plenty on offer to inspire the creative, and eclectic community of Stroud and the surrounding area.

For fans of fine food and drink, prepare to be taken on a culinary odyssey through Italy by celebrated food critic and author Matthew Fort.

For a shared literary experience join readers of Gloucestershire for The Big Read. This year’s chosen book is award-winning The Snow Geese by William Fiennes. Join William Fiennes and fellow readers at the headline event at Lansdown Hall on Friday.

Acclaimed authors Rachel Joyce and Cathy Rentzenbrink will host a special event, Writing to the Heart, on Saturday at Lansdown Hall to discuss how they go about writing books that arrive at the nub of who we are.

For those interested in ecology and nature, history and politics join Adam Horovitz, Tamsin Treverton Jones or Hugh Warwick at one of their invigorating and thought-provoking events at the festival throughout the weekend.

For film buffs, there will be a special screening of Fahrenheit 451 on Sunday.

For aspiring authors and anyone trying to make their mark in publishing there are writing workshops, (including a half day fiction course at the Museum in the Park hosted by Katie Fforde and Jane Bailey), writing competitions and invaluable insights into publishing provided by Unbound and Anthony Burton.

John Dougherty will host two children’s’ events at the festival, including the route to publishing A Portal Through Time, in collaboration with Minchinhampton School. Popular children’s authors Tom Percival, Martha Lightfoot, Tracey Corderoy, Tracey Spiers, Hannah Shaw and Andy Seed will also be at the festival.

For something completely off the wall, join Elvis impersonator Joe Reeve for Tonight With Elvis or the residents of Hopeless Maine for an evening of gothic fantasy with a twist of steampunk and unruly magic.

Or find a poetic cure from The Emergency Poet, who will offer consultations and treatments inside her 1970’s ambulance around Stroud.

There’s even a book quiz, hosted by the ever-talented John Dougherty.

  • The main box office for ticket sales is subscriptionrooms.org.uk/tickets or telephone: 01453 760900. For events at the Museum in the Park please call 01453 763394. Visit stroudbookfestival.org.uk for a full line-up.