Sidmouth Literary Festival takes place online this year between Monday, June 28 and Sunday, July 4 – with all speaker events free and accessible via Zoom.

Terry Waite CBE will launch the festival on Monday, June 28, and will be talking about his remarkable life, his writing and how to cope with coming out of lockdown.

Debut novelist Naomi Ishiguro will be talking about her book Common Ground, which is a timely story about friendship and solidarity.

David Mitchell, who has been shortlisted twice for the Booker Prize, will be discussing his latest novel Utopia Avenue, which tells the fictional story of a 'psychedelic folk rock band' attempting to make a mark on the music scene of the late Sixties.

Sarah Moss's work has been nominated three times for the Wellcome Book Prize, and she will be talking about her latest novel, Summerwater, which is a devastating story told over twenty-four hours in the Scottish highlands, and a searing exploration of our capacity for both kinship and cruelty in these divided times.

Devon-based writer, Lucy Holland, will be discussing her Times bestselling Sistersong, a reimagining of the folk ballad 'The Twa Sisters'.

Another local writer and journalist, Andy Cooper, will be reading from his first children's book, Harry the Hippopotamus.

If all these readings and talks reignite your ambition to write your own novel, the final event will be perfect for you. The festival is rounded off by the 'How to Get Published' day on Sunday, July 4, which is a ticketed event priced at £15 for the day. It's a unique opportunity for budding writers to hear directly from those with the best knowledge about the UK's publishing industry, and gives guidance to any writer starting out on the publishing journey.

Experts include Kate Hordern, Founder of KHLA (Kate Hordern Literary Agency); Katy Loftus, Publisher at Penguin Viking & Editor of the Year 2021; Martha Ashby, Editorial Director at Harper Fiction, and Miranda Jewess, Editorial Director of Viper Books. There will also be tips on how to self-publish from Duncan Hall, author of Fly Fishing the World on a Shoestring and Gwen Clarke, author of Secrets of Sidmouth's Old Pubs: What the Landlords Don't Tell You.

Liz Gordon, Festival Director, said: "We are so excited and honoured to have such prestigious speakers and contributors at our festival this year. The fact that we are online and free means we can reach even more people and really establish the Sidmouth Literary Festival as a highly respected fixture on the festival calendar."

Full details of the festival and how to book tickets can be found at the Sidmouth Litfest website.