Political big-hitters and broadcasters line up for Keswick's Words by the Water Festival (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Political big-hitters and broadcasters line up for Keswick's Words by the Water Festival

8:00pm Tuesday 22nd January 2013 in News

POLITICAL heavy-hitters, broadcasters, scientists, and some of the greatest names in contemporary fiction are among the line up for Keswick’s Words by the Water Festival in March.

The festival, which is in its 12th year, is headed up by its president, Melvyn Bragg, who brings his own magic to the programme with an intimate reading from his new unpublished novel.

But from March 1 to 10, the Theatre by the Lake will welcome authors including Pat Barker and Ruth Rendell, as well as Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.

And Rhodesian-born Scottish writer Alexander McCall Smith is lined up to discuss prolific storytelling.

The festival will also welcome Jack Straw to talk about his candid memoir, Last Man Standing, and MP Tom Watson will offer an insight into the phone hacking scandal.

Chris Mullin will talk about the recent Channel 4 update of his drama A Very British Coup, now called Secret State, and Edwina Currie will discuss her life and career as chronicled in her explosive diaries.

Festival Director Chloe Bar-Kar said: “Words By The Water is a celebration of books and ideas and we always have a fantastically engaged and enthusiastic audience here in Keswick.”

Launching the proceedings at the festival will be Radio 4’s news presenter James Naughtie, famed for the Today programme, as he presents his New Elizabethans – the people he credits with defining our times.

The programme is filled with other much-admired broadcast faces from the witty and insightful Sandi Toksvig, to Channel 4’s International Editor, Lindsey Hilsum; the BBC’s Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen, and Howard Goodall who will tell the story of music.

The full programme for is available to view online at wayswithwords.co.uk