Literary Leicester Festival 2016 returns this week

The city's diverse celebration of the written and spoken word is returns this month with a prestigious line-up of speakers and contributors who have shaped the landscape of modern literature.

The University of Leicester is hosting the ninth annual Literary Leicester festival from Wednesday 16 November to Saturday 19 November at various venues across the city in what seems to be the perfect year to honour writers and their works.

A few highlights from the packed programme include:

• The Leicester launch of a new memoir by Leonie Orton, the sister of playwright Joe Orton, on 16 November

• A day of events to commemorate the death of Evelyn Waugh on 18 November

• Jacqueline Wilson will give a talk on 19 November at De Montfort Hall
• Prolific feminist author and playwright Fay Weldon will speak on 19 November

You can also watch a recording of the first Literary Leicester event of the year, In Conversation with Patricia Cornwell.

• View the programme and book tickets
• Press release

• Press release: Leicester's ever-evolving literary festival receives important Arts Council grant