Key ideas at the heart of literary celebration

This year's line-up for Ilkley Literature Festival, one of the region's most established arts events, has been announced. The theme, however, is a little difficult to spot.

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Roddy Doyle, Audrey Niffenegger, Polly Toynbee and a first visit to the festival from Yorkshire's Sir Michael Parkinson, are some of the key ingredients – but when put together, what do they add up to?

The fact is, there isn't a single theme.

Talking to festival organiser Rachel Feldberg, it's easy to see how a single strand might not emerge.

"It's always a challenge to keep the festival line-up exciting, but the way we do it and the way that I think about the festival is to examine what are the key ideas in the literary world and what are the things that all the good writers are talking and writing about," she says.

"Some years, it's quite obvious; some years, there isn't one particular thing that is being discussed. It means the programme becomes quite varied and far-reaching, with our guests talking about all kinds of different issues."

While a single major strand does not emerge from this year's brochure, there are several key themes.

What it means to be British, How Science Affects Us, the History of Famous People and Places and the Myths and Truths behind Environmental Issues – are all going to be tackled by some of the country's most famous authors at the festival which runs from October 1 to 17.

There are others, Feldberg says: "One of the really interesting strands is going to be the changing perspective of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"As well as having two very experienced war correspondents who have been embedded in Afghanistan with British troops, we'll also have Colonel Stuart Tootal as a guest. He led troops in Afghanistan and famously resigned from the Army in protest at the Government's treatment of wounded troops."

Col Tootal will be in conversation with BBC Foreign correspondent Jill McGivering, talking about his take on the reality of the unforgiving conflict in Afghanistan, described in his Sunday Times best-seller, Danger Close.

Ilkley will see the return of a number of festival favourites, including Will Self, Louis De Bernieres, Blake Morrison and Gervase Phinn.

Feldberg says: "There are certain guests who come back regularly – because they enjoy coming to the festival and because we enjoy having them here."

With a total of 205 events at this year's festival, literary fans will be salivating come the middle of August when the full list is finally revealed.

Poetry features strongly again this year (the acclaimed Antony Dunn is poet in residence) and there is also a debut for one of Yorkshire's greatest icons.

Although Sir Michael Parkinson appears to be such an obvious choice, it turns out he has never attended the festival as a guest.

"We are very excited about having him here, we were a little surprised to discover that he had never appeared at the festival before, so it is wonderful to have him joining us for the first time," says Feldberg.

Other writers making their debut at the festival include Barbara Trapido, Andrew Graham-Dixon and journalist Polly Toynbee.

Festival Highlights

Britain and other empires

One of Britain's best young female comics, Shappi Khorsandi, discusses her upbringing in A Beginner's Guide to Acting English.

Iraqi-born British historian Avi Shlaim is a professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford and a fellow of the British Academy. He will examine the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Journalists on international conflict and current affairs respectively, Stephen Grey and James Fergusson talk about the foreign correspondent's perspective in reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Words, land and landscape

Time Team regular and specialist in the Bronze and Iron Ages, Francis Pryor brings his expert eye to archaeology and The Making of the British Landscape.

Leading palaeontologist Richard Fortey delves deep into the land beneath our feet looking back at Britain's geological past with his book, The Hidden Landscape.

Community archaeologist Gavin Edwards will use objects from the Bradford Museum Archaeology Collection as part of his talk on British archaeologist Jacquetta Hawkes.

In Walking to Hollywood, by Will Self, the author describes a bizarre road trip across Canada and the US.

Science

Astronomer Professor Paul Murdin relates the secrets of the universe.

Professor Jim al'Khalili, presenter of BBC4's Science and Islam series, will be revealing the secrets of the Golden Age of Arabic science in eighth-century Baghdad.

Tickets will be available to Friends of the Festival from August 18 and will go on general release on August 31.

Friends membership is available until July 31.

For details, log on to www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk or call 01943 816714.