Three tributes to Wolf Hall writer at Budleigh literary festival

Line-up announced as Radio Exe becomes media partner

Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival has announced its line-up for September - and Radio Exe is to be its media sponsor.

The event will feature special tributes to the festival's late honorary president, Dame Hilary Mantel, who had lived in the East Devon town and who died last year.

The annual celebration of books and writing has developed a reputation as one of the leading literary events in the south west.

Among the people appearing are author, poet, playwright and broadcaster Lemn Sissay; one of the UK’s most prolific storytellers Alexander McCall Smith; comedian broadcaster and author David Baddiel and political commentator and Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee. Writer and political strategist Alastair Campbell; acclaimed author Kate Mosse and Radio 4 presenter Natalie Haynes. Charlie Higson and Kim Sherwood will be talking about taking on the legend that is James Bond.

The festival is featuring three tributes to Dame Hilary Mantel. In the first it will bring together her agent Bill Hamilton, her lifelong friend Anne Preston, and the actor Ben Miles (Thomas Cromwell in the acclaimed stage production of Wolf Hall) in a unique event that shares memories of her as a friend, colleague and inspiration. The second will feature Ben Miles and his photographer brother George Miles who will talk about their experience working with Dame Hilary on the making of the Wolf Hall Picture Book where they spent many years exploring the locations Thomas Cromwell visited and inhabited.

The third event will be a moving tribute, in which pianist Katherine Rockhill will be performing the original music created by Debbie Wiseman for the BBC series of Wolf Hall. She’ll be joined by the celebrated actor Anton Lesser, who played Sir Thomas More, who will mesmerise with extracts from the novel.

The festival runs from 20 to 24 September, with tickets going on sale to Friends of the Festival from July 17 and to the general public from July 24 from www.budlitfest.org.uk