Clare Balding, Prue Leith and David Suchet will appear at the Ilkley Literature Festival 2019

King's Hall in Ilkley is one of the festival venues

The organisers of the Ilkley Literature Festival have announced the headline names for this October's event.

BBC presenter Clare Balding, Poirot actor David Suchet and cookery writer Prue Leith have all been confirmed.

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage will open the festival in the Yorkshire spa town on October 4.

Artistic director Rachel Feldberg to leave Ilkley Literature Festival after 16 yearsCartoonist Gerald Scarfe, The Likely Lads screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian la Frenais, and equal pay campaigner Carrie Gracie are also on the bill.

The 17-day arts festival is renowned for its diverse range of speakers.

Suchet - famous for playing detective Poirot in the TV adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels - will speak about his passion for photography ahead of the publication of his new autobiography.

Great British Bake Off judge Leith will be interviewed about her career in food by Guardian journalist Felicity Cloake.

Balding will headline the children's festival and unveil the latest books in her popular series of children's pony stories.

Writing duo Clement and la Frenais are the brains behind TV classics such as Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

Satirical cartoonist Scarfe has worked for Punch and Private Eye, and has toured with The Beatles.

BBC News journalist Gracie resigned as the broadcaster's China editor in 2018 over the gender pay gap scandal, and will be speaking about her ongoing battle for equal pay.

The full programme will be announced on August 14 and tickets go on sale on August 27.