MILES JUPP will headline a star-studded line up at the Wantage Literary Festival this year.

The actor and comedian will read from the new book Egg and Soldiers by his alter ego, Damian Trench, from the BBC’s series In and Out of the Kitchen.

Yesterday saw tickets go on sale for the October festival, which will host speeches from a series of celebrities, including BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin and historian and former Daily Telegraph editor Max Hastings

Garden designer Diarmuid Gavin will open the week-long festival at 10.15am on Saturday, October 20.

Historian James Daybell will also speak at the festival and Oxford musician Nick Cope – former lead singer of The Candyskins – will lead a singalong.

A ghost pub walk and a free, Roald Dahl-themed family activity day will be put on by the Vale and Downland Museum.

Sam Willis, James Daybell, Keggie Carew, Linda Parker, Lucy Newlyn and Sir Oliver Letwin MP also form part of the line up, which will include some 30 events.

Festival director Vicki Luker explained: "We are very excited about the quality of acts coming to Wantage this year. We have been lucky that many of the acts have lowered their fees as they too believe in our charitable aims."

She added that she was particularly looking forward to the gin tasting session.

The week-long event was previously known as the Betjeman festival - and after that the ‘Wantage Not Just Betjeman Literary Festival'.

Profits will go towards the festival's schools programme and keeping ticket prices low.

More information is available at wantageliteraryfestival.co.uk.