The north-west of England’s premier festival of words and ideas returns to Keswick this March.

Held at Theatre by the Lake for over 15 years, the festival has seen hundreds of authors and thousands of audience members converge at the awe-inspiring setting, close to Derwentwater Lake.

This year, taking place from 9 – 18 March, the festival once again promises to awaken the imagination and stimulate with exciting new ideas and information. In a time when so much of life is conducted online, it is a rare opportunity to engage with live speakers and words. And as the Festival President himself, Melvyn Bragg said,“…Words By the Water is simply the best Literary Festival in the country.”

Here’s a glimpse of what we’ve got to look forward to this year.

Peter Snow & Ann MacMillan

Wartime Tales of Bravery, Suffering and Humanity

Following the turbulence of war, countless stories remain untold. In a celebration of courage, innovation and compassion, Peter Snow returns to the festival with spouse, Ann MacMillan to re-live accounts of civilians in the midst of conflict. Each vivid and gripping narrative moves between tales of spies, escapes and uplifting acts of humanity spanning centuries and continents.

Hunter Davies

Love and the Sixties

Cumbrian author and former editor of The Sunday Times magazine, Hunter Davies shares some of his colourful memories reporting on and partying with the likes of the Beatles, Michael Caine, George Best, Melvyn Bragg, Joan Bakewell and Sean Connery. He also reflects on his years spent with the love of his life, the bestselling Carlisle writer Margaret Forster, who passed away in 2016.

Vince Cable

From Fact to Fiction

Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Sir Vince Cable drew on his experience in politics to write ‘Open Arms’, a thriller which moves from Whitehall to the slums of Mumbai and combines political detail with international intrigue, desire, and the quest for power.

Michael Rosen

Michael Rosen From the Beginning: Michael Rosen Remembers

Former Children’s Laureate, novelist and poet, Michael Rosen recalls dreaming of a socialist revolution and casts his mind back to his journey of radical self-discovery – running away to the Aldermaston March to ban the bomb, and writing and performing in experimental political theatre.

Shappi Khorsandi

Taken by Matt Crockett

Mistress and Misfit Comedian

Following a stint on 2017’s ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’, author and comedian, Shappi Khorsandi pays a visit to the Cumbrian countryside. She presents England’s unsung heroine and Nelson’s mistress, Emma Hamilton, who has gone down in history as a bit of a harlot. Emma struggled to haul herself from scullery maid to Lady Hamilton – and yes, she occasionally danced on tables naked to get ahead in life, but who hasn’t?

Claire Tomalin

The Royal Literary Fund Lecture – Triumph and Tragedy

Acclaimed biographer Claire Tomalin turns her critical eye to her own fascinating life. She recalls moments of intense personal emotion: the death of her first husband and the suicide of her daughter. She reflects upon moments of national literary history and shares memories of her neighbour Alan Bennett, working with Christopher Hitchens, Julian Barnes and her husband, Michael Frayn.

Michael Buerk

Reasons to be Cheerful

After a working lifetime spent reporting disaster and predicting doom Michael Buerk has had a change of heart. He will argue that we are living in the safest, most prosperous, most sensible and happiest period in human history and that despite Brexit, Trump and Kim Jong-un the world is full of reasons to be cheerful.

 Tickets and full programme are available at www.theatrebythelake.com