BATH Literature Festival has a powerful programme with thoughtful speakers tackling a vast range of subjects from the big issues of the day to characters from ancient myths. This year’s festival runs from Saturday 16th to Sunday 24th May, and brings some of today’s leading writers to the city.

Along with the bestsellers and the literary giants this year’s panel talks and debates will look at the climate crisis, Europe, ten years on from Brexit and Russia’s place on the world stage.

With 40 events and more than 100 authors and thinkers, the highlights include the Scottish-American writer, Douglas Stuart, author of the brilliant Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo, is at the festival on Sunday 24th at 7.30pm at the Guildhall. He’s going to be talking to Bath based author Max Porter (Grief Is A Thing With Feathers) about his new novel John of John. Expect moving insights from these two emotionally direct and brilliant writers.

The Hamnet (novel and film) effect has been very powerful, with tickets to hear Maggie O’Farrell at The Forum, just after the festival, on Monday 1st June, selling like hot cakes! The much garlanded Irish writer will be introducing readers to her next novel, Land, an intimate and epic story, set in Ireland.

For lovers of romantic fiction, author Katie Fforde’s books always lift the spirits. She’ll be in conversation on Sunday 17th May with the equally delightful broadcaster Ali Vowles as they look at Katie’s life and work and her latest title, A Cottage in the Country, which promises an escapist story of love, friendship and gorgeous houses.

Patrick Gale’s 18th novel, Love Lane has just been published, giving us time to dive in and read it ahead of Patrick’s appearance at the beautiful Guildhall on Saturday 16th when he’ll be chatting to fellow novelist Rachel Joyce (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry). Love Lane is set in 1950s Northern England, where we meet three generations of men, two of women. A Place Called Winter‘s Harry Cane has returned from Canada …

Authors Saara El-Arifi and Rosie Hewlett are experts at bringing lost figures from mythology and the past into focus for the modern reader. Rosie’s novels Medusa and Medea were highly acclaimed. In Bitter Sweet Song she tells her own female-focussed take on the Odyssey. Saara, author of bestsellers Faebound and The Final Strife, chooses to tell the story of the great queen Cleopatra in her own words. The two authors will be conversation about these fascinating women with BBC Radio 1 presenter Fee Mack.

Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson’s latest novel, Howl, is a pitch-black novel of obsession and pain about a man grappling with world events and existential despair. The Guardian describes it as an uncomfortable read, and yet also a comic one. The veteran author, who has written 18 novels and six works of non-fiction, will be bringing his wit and dark humour to the festival on Friday 22nd.

For the full Bath Literature Festival programme and details of multi-buy tickets, visit https://bathboxoffice.org.uk/bath-literature-festival-72m8

Pictured: Saara El-Arifi, photograph by Mustafa Raee; Douglas Stuart; the cover of Katie Fforde’s new book.