Dame Prue Leith, Craig Revel Horwood and Dame Mary Berry are among the celebrities to be announced in this year’s line-up for the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

The 10-day event, which will take place from 9 to 18 October, will see more than 500 authors, journalists and celebrities appear at stages, halls and tents spread out across the market town.

This year’s line-up includes author Maggie O’Farrell, who will be discussing Hamnet, 2025 Booker Prize winner David Szalay, Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding, and Life of Pi author Yann Martel.

A panel will also pay tribute to Gloucestershire bonkbuster legend Dame Jilly Cooper, who died last year at the age of 88.

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, Russell T Davies, Katherine Parkinson, Anneka Rice, Richard Osman, Marina Hyde, Sara Pascoe, and Sandi Toksvig have also been billed on this year’s programme.

During the festival, which is focused around Cheltenham’s Montpellier Gardens, The Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue will discuss “growing old gracefully” with Gyles Brandreth and Kathy Lette.

Dame Prue’s Bake Off predecessor, Dame Mary, will chat to the show’s former host, comedian Mel Giedroyc, to discuss her second great love of gardening and her forthcoming cookbook.

Actress and author Celia Imrie will speak about her memoir Elegant Hustler, in which she shares tales from her travels, from Arctic quests for the Northern Lights to exploring India’s railways.

Caitlin Moran will host a panel in Dame Jilly’s honour, which will see Rivals actress Katherine Parkinson, producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Fielding, Dame Jilly’s agent Felicity Blunt, and her daughter Emily Tarrant explore her legacy and the lasting appeal of her Rutshire novels.

Elsewhere, Queer As Folk creator and former Doctor Who showrunner Davies will discuss his new memoir, The Queerest Of Folk.

Blur’s Dave Rowntree will also share the tales behind the band’s formative years through unheard stories alongside candid photos from his new bestselling book, No One You Know.

Festival organisers said the event will bring together “world-famous names alongside brand-new voices, reflecting the festival’s commitment to celebrating today’s leading names while championing the writers, thinkers and storytellers of the future”.

Priority tickets will go on sale on 27 August, and the general sale will follow on 3 September.

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