Bookworms rejoice! A slew of literary festivals are being held in the area in the next two months. Joanna Davis leafs through the highlights.

IT'S that time of year when curling up with a good book has endless appeal.

And tapping into that desire to shut out the increasingly cold weather and spend our free time reading, four towns in the area are holding literary festivals in the next two months.

First up is Sherborne Literary Festival from October 10 to 14, followed by Dorchester Literary Festival from October 17 to 21, then Yeovil Literary Festival from October 25 to 29 and finally, Bridport Literary Festival from November 4 to 11.

More authors than you can shake a stick at will be heading to town to talk about their latest books. Read on for the highlights of each festival.

Sherborne Literary Festival, October 10 to 14

THE festival opens with the only 40th anniversary celebration of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, where late-author Douglas Adams’ writing adventure started from his home in Stalbridge. Kevin Davies will lead the two-part talk alongside original cast, crew, props and animations.

Bestselling author Gill Simms will be talking about her book Why Mummy Drinks and Henry Hemming, author of the biography M, is hosting an interactive talk featuring a song and game to find out which member of the audience has been planted as a 'spy'.

Also dropping into Sherborne will be Mark Kermode, who is speaking on his book How Does It Feel? A Life of Musical Misadventures, Paddy Ashdown, who will talk about his book Nein: Standing Up to Hitler 1934-45 and Max Hastings who will talk about Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy 1945-1975.

Festival venues include Digby Hall and Sherborne Girls' School. See sherborneliterarysociety.com/festival for more information.

Dorchester Literary Festival, October 17 to 21

DORCHESTER is holding its biggest ever literary festival next month.

Highlights include a talk from the world's best known tennis mum Judy Murray, mother to Andy and Jamie, and respected coach in her own right. She'll be talking about her book Knowing the Score.

Radio 2's Jeremy Vine will also be in town. He will be talking about his book What I Learnt, which is about his lunchtime topical phone in show. This is a memoir punctuated by vivid anecdotes, laugh-out-loud moments and tips learnt via Eggheads and Strictly Come Dancing.

Dorchester resident Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, will be choosing his Desert Island Books - the eight books that have inspired him through his life - and talking about his love of reading.

Best-selling authors Joanna Trollope and Lynne Truss will come to Dorchester - Lynne talking about her new wryly entertaining crime novel A Shot in the Dark and Joanna speaking about her new book An Unsuitable Match.

There's plenty for lovers of crime fiction to enjoy - the festival's crime time will feature best-selling author Mark Billingham talking about the latest in his DI Tom Thorne and Nicola Tanner series, The Killing Habit. Mark will be joined by Lisa Jewell, author of gripping psychological suspense thriller Watching You. The crime time panel will be chaired by Dorchester resident and best-selling crime writer Minette Walters.

Look out for news reader Mark Austin, who'll be in conversation with war correspondent Kate Adie, talking about his memoir Thank You for Watching and Lib Dem leader Vince Cable, who'll speak about his thrilling fictional drama Open Arms.

Festival venues include the Corn Exchange, Duke's Galleries, Dorchester Library and Learning Centre and Thomas Hardye School Theatre.

Yeovil Literary Festival, October 25 to 29

STAR names will descend just north of the Dorset border at Yeovil's celebration of books.

Spend an afternoon in the company of cricket's Jonathan Agnew, Coronation Street's William Roache and MasterChef's Gregg Wallace.

Ruby Wax will be talking about her book How to be Human while former Home Secretary and best-selling author in his own right Alan Johnson, will speak on his latest book Alan Johnson: In My Life - A Music Memoir.

At a festival pre-event on October 23, Michael Parkinson will speak about his life and career in conversation with his son Mike.

Strictly fans will make a beeline for Yeovil to hear Craig Revel-Horwood, one of the show's judges, speak on his autobiography In Strictest Confidence.

Also, three giants in children's writing, Lauren St John, Emma Carroll and Hilary McKay, will come together to talk about their fiction.

Meanwhile, newspaper columnist Bryony Gordon will speak on her hilarious and inspirational memoir Eat, Drink, Run and TV presenter Adam Hart-Davis will talk on The Weird & Wacky World of Comic Artist William Heath Robinson.

Gogglebox fans can enjoy hearing from Giles and Mary of the hit channel 4 show, who will be talking about their 30 years of marriage and life of domestic misunderstandings.

The festival also boast talks from comedian Jo Brand, suffragette descendant Helen Pankhurst and TV historian Lucy Worsley, who'll be speaking on Queen Victoria.

See yeovilliteraryfestival.co.uk

Bridport Literary Festival, November 4 to 11

THE well established Bridport Literary Festival is now in its 14th year.

Eight days of literary highlights include visits by Fay Weldon, author of The Death of a She-Devil, and Imogen Hermes Gowar, author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock.

These creators of the wickedest women in fiction will speak on arson, fraud, plastic surgery, cake and sex – just a few of the crimes committed by the heroines of their novels.

Fiona Sampson will reveal the real Mary Shelley and her passionate commitment to writing when to be a woman writer was a costly anomaly in a talk based on her book In Search of Mary Shelley.

Keen gardeners will enjoy the illustrated talk from authors Vanessa Berridge and Ambra Edwards on The English Garden & Those Who Made Them.

Dorset chef and food writer Gill Mellor will speak on his new book Time, which distils the essence of his approach to food and cooking time spent in the kitchen with good ingredients.

Writer and columnist Ferdinand Mount will speak about Prime Movers, his rip-roaring narrative of historical figures that have inspired and challenged.

Fresh from Yeovil, columnist Bryony Gordon will speak on her inspirational memoir while round the world sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston will speak about his book Running Free while Bake Off star Prue Leith will give an unparalleled view into life and style speaking on her book My All-Time Favourite Recipes.

For more information see bridlit.com