A DIVERSE line-up for this year’s Dorchester Literary Festival will cover everything from squirrel pie and hedgerows to Nazi hunters and the Russian Revolution.

Plans are well underway for the town’s second literary festival, which will run from October 19 to October 23.

The inaugural event last year proved a great success and organisers are hoping the second chapter will be even better.

Major sponsors have already been lined up in the form of BMW and county town auctioneers Duke’s.

A number of local and national writers have also already been confirmed for the event.

They include event patron Tracy Chevalier, who will discuss her latest novel On the Edge of Orchard and will also discuss apples with Dorset Nectar founder Penny Strong, offering the audience a change to sample some cider.

Others lined up include journalist Kate Adie, who will choose her Desert Island Books and talk about her life with Antiques Roadshow expert and festival co-director Paul Atterbury.

Back by popular demand is the Thomas Hardy Today event, which will feature best-selling novelists Rachel Joyce and Dinah Jefferies talking about Hardy’s legacy and strong woman in fiction.

There will also be a Thomas Hardy walk on Sunday, October 23 led by Tony Fincham from the Thomas Hardy Society.

Other highlights include an appearance from local crime writer Minette Walters, Richard Dannatt talking about his new book Boots on the Ground, cookery writer Elizabeth Laud discussing her memoir Squirrel Pie and Other Stories and Damien Lewis on his book The Nazi Hunters.

Dorchester Library will host a number of children’s events during the festival and The New Hardy Players will be putting on a special production.

Festival co-director Janet Gleeson said: “This year we are also teaming up with Dorchester Arts for a fringe poetry event featuring Roger McGough.”

As well as Duke’s gallery and the Victorian Gallery at the Dorset County Museum, there will also be a new venue for this year’s festival events with Kingston Maurward hosting a day of country related subjects on Thursday, October 20.

Janet added: “As before we have been greatly helped by local sponsors.

“Apart from BMW and Duke’s we have already received support from Humphries Kirk, Lulworth Estates, Battens, Symonds and Sampson, Poundbury Clinic, Poundbury Wealth Management, Cresta Leisure, Acheson, the Thomas Hardy Society and DOMVS.”

For the latest news on the Dorchester Literary Festival visit dorchesterliteraryfestival.com

Anyone interested can also visit the festival’s Facebook page or follow @DorchLitFest on Twitter.

Tickets will be on sale from the end of August and will be available online or from the Dorchester Tourist Information Centre.