Starry line-up as Petworth Festival Literary Week gets under way

Michael Parkinson, Kate Mosse and Ben Macintyre will be among the guests. You can also hear comedian Al Murray talking about his backstage passion, military history; theatre director Dominic Dromgoole talking about some of history’s great first nights; and Georgina Montagu talking about the relationships between some of our best known public figures and their dogs. The festival runs in various Petworth venues between Thursday, October 27 and Sunday, November 6.

Thursday, October 27: 7.30pm Book Group/Elizabeth Buchan. Two Women in Rome. An intimate book-group style evening with the best-selling novelist.

Friday, October 28: 12pm Carole Walker, Lobby Life. The Times Radio journalist reveals all about Parliament's secretive system; 4pm Ben Okri, The Last Gift of the Master Artists, Nigeria before the arrival of the slavers.

Saturday, October 29: 10.30am Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore, Sussex Riddles for Children. A brain teasing set of riddles all about dinosaurs; 12pm Andrew Roberts. The Chief. The life of the greatest press magnate in history, Alfred Harmsworth; 4pm Andrew Mitchell, Beyond a Fringe. Tales from the parliamentary jungle from the Conservative MP; 7.30pm Robin Hanbury-Tenison, Taming the Four Horsemen. The doyen of explorers on the problems facing the world today.

Sunday, October 30: 10.30am The Children’s Laureate in Petworth – Joseph Coelho. Kind Words. The Waterstone's Children's Laureate leads an interactive session for children and their families; 2.30pm Baking Off! with Chetna Makan & Edd Kimber. Chetna’s Easy Baking/Edd’s Small Batch Bakes. Two leading cooks from The Great British Bake-Off talk about their latest baking guides; 5pm Simon Sebag Montefiore, The World. A new history of humanity; 7.30pm Hugh Bonneville, Playing Under the Piano. The actor talks about his new memoir.

Monday, October 31: 12pm Ronnie Archer-Morgan. Would it Surprise You to Know. The Antiques Roadshow regular talks about his life; 3pm Theo Fennell, I Fear For This Boy. An icon of the world of designer jewellery talks about his life; 7.30pm Kate Mosse, Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries. The novelist traces the history of a thousand remarkable women.

Tuesday, November 1: 12pm Hunter Davies, Love in Old Age. Now in his 80s, the prolific author celebrates the first year of a brand-new life; 3pm Al Murray, Command. The comedian talks about his other passion – military history. 7.30pm Nicci French, The Unheard. The husband and wife team discuss their suspense thriller.

Wednesday, November 2: 12pm Keith Brymer Jones. Boy in a China Shop; 2.30pm Mark Woolhouse. The Year the World Went Mad; 7.30pm Kathryn Harkup, Superspy Science. www.petworthfestival.org.uk