Top authors from a range of genres are heading into the Cotswold for a celebration of books, including celebrity talks, workshops, poetry and a literary quiz

Helen Lederer
Losing It
Saturday, April 25, 2pm-3pm

Helen is a comedy actor and writer. Since the early 1980s, she has worked on stage and TV alongside the likes of Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Ben Elton and Lenny Henry. She’s been on just about every Radio 4 panel show and performed in London’s West End. Losing It is her debut novel, about Millie, a middle-aged agony aunt, who is in debt, divorced and desperate. The invitation to be the front woman for a new diet pill seems to be the answer to all her problems.

A hilarious, brutally honest exploration of a woman who still feels 30 but can’t deny the odd stray grey hair.

Jesse Armstrong
Love, Sex and Other Foreign Policy Goals
Friday, April 24, 8pm-9pm

Jesse Armstrong is co-creator and writer of Peep Show, as well as Fresh Meat, Bad Sugar, Babylon and, with Chris Morris, Four Lions. He was also co-writer of The Thick of It and the Oscar-nominated In the Loop,. His first novel is Love, Sex & Other Foreign Policy Goals.

Jean Trumpington
Coming up Trumps
Sunday, April 26, noon-1pm

Admired for being an out-spoken Tory peer and nicknamed Trumpers by the press, Baroness Trumpington has lead a fascinating life. She was born in 1922 to an American heiress and a British officer. Wall Street and the war took care of any expected inheritance; Jean became a Land Girl, living with Lloyd George’s mistress, before joining Bletchley Park and cracking the codes of u-boats. After the war, she sailed for New York and married Alan Barker, with whom she had a son, Adam.

The family returned to England and Jean buckled down as a headmaster’s wife. Her political career began as a councillor and, since 1980, has been a life peer, serving two Tory governments. She’s been instrumental in obtaining the pardon for Alan Turing and continues to support British farmers and she loves horse-racing.

Richard Madeley & Judy Finnigan
The Richard & Judy Book Club
Saturday, April 25, noon-1pm

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are synonymous with discovering and sharing great fiction on their television shows. The Richard and Judy Book Club has championed hundreds of authors, including Julie Cohen, who joins them on stage in Chipping Norton to discuss the book club and their own novels.

Renee Knight
New Voices
Saturday, April 25, 4pm-5pm

Renee worked for the BBC, directing arts documentaries, before turning to writing. Disclaimer is her debut novel, and has had its translation rights sold in 16 countries.

It is the story of one person’s closely guarded secret, carefully and deliberately exposed by a stranger to exact the ultimate revenge.

Chipping Norton Literary Festival
Eight venues around town
April 23-26
Details: chiplitfest.com or 01608 642350