There is probably no one better equipped to write THE definitive guide for dog owners than Bruce Fogle, who appears with his (immaculately behaved) golden retriever Bean. Fogle qualified as a vet in Ontario before moving to London on a travel fellowship that changed his life. He set up his own practice, met his wife, the actress Julia Foster, and had three children – including Ben who was at the Literary Festival last year. On the way, he became a celebrated author on all things dog and cat. Whatever you need to know about your dog, Bruce is the man to ask and journalist and author Anna Pasternak leads the way.

Dog: The Definitive Book for Dog Lovers – Mitchell Beazley

You must really know how to entertain children if your hero is Sir Charlie Stinky Socks, and the phenomenon that is Kristina Stephenson certainly knows how to entertain youngsters. This is the latest in the series charting the adventures of the honourable, feisty, tenacious and courageous (but sadly rather smelly) hero. Stephenson is a writer, illustrator, and a set and costume designer who also does animation for children’s television.

Successful childrens’ author Marion will lead a one-hour workshop for children ages 7 - 11 to inspire creativity and imagination in illustration. Marion has been teaching painting to children and adults for many years and is a director of the Society of Botanical Artists, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Artist in Residence for the National Trust.

In his latest novel Read has produced a darkly humorous, bitingly satirical and moving book tracing the life of Jomier who has reached the age of retirement. With his children grown up, he lives alone in London after his wife left him for an international banker. Brooding over the end of his marriage he tries to work out where it went wrong. But it is only when his daughter falls ill that he finally begins to reassess his feelings towards those he loves. Sunday Telegraph literary editor Mike Prodger is the interviewer.

The Misogynist - Bloomsbury

Henley author Simon Kernick is hardly ever off the bestseller list with his hard-edged, violent and compulsive thrillers. He talks about his ninth book, which has followed the usual route seamlessly up the bestsellers lists. And the plot? ‘A man, a woman and a sadistic killer. As they race towards a terrifying confrontation only one thing is certain: they’re all going to have to fight very hard just to stay alive.’ Kernick’s dogged pursuit of his ambition to become a writer has been as relentless as the defenders of law and order in his book. Sky's Anna Botting will be interviewing the author.

The Last 10 Seconds - Bantam

Relax, have a cup of coffee, admire the view and enjoy the wonders of the spoken word. Nothing typifies the values and traditions of the Festival more than the River Readings. Some of the greatest poetry written is about love and war and this year Nansi Diamond has made her evocative selection of prose and poetry from this rich creative seam. Join Rula Lenska and poet John O'Sullivan, along with Donald Trelford and Susie Fairfax, as the boat gently drifts downstream and  enjoy some of the greatest lines ever written.

His forthright memoir DC Confidential was hugely controversial when it appeared in 2005 and enraged politicians. Now , Sir Christopher is in the role of expert guide, giving a riveting insight into how diplomacy has changed and the role it plays in an increasingly complex world. His own distinguished career took him to Moscow, Madrid and Brussels before, in October 1997, he was appointed Ambassador to the United States where he remained until February 2003. Kim Fletcher interviews the author of this frank, witty, and entertaining glimpse of life beyond the embassy.

Getting Our Own Way: the Inside Story of British Diplomacy - Weidenfeld & Nicolson

The remarkable, tragic and fraught life of one of the country’s greatest writers was a world of spying, sexual encounters and betrayal. Maugham lived at the splendid Villa Mauresque where for 40 years he was the most famous Englishman on the French Riviera enjoying a sumptuous and decadent lifestyle. His complex life story is enthralling and he enjoyed phenomenal worldwide success., In America, The Razor’s Edge sold 3 million copies and his novel about Machiavelli sold 750,000 copies in a fortnight. Hastings’ unrivalled access to Maugham’s papers shed light on his very private life, today she will be interviewed by the Sunday Telegraph's literary editor Mike Prodger.

The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham - John Murray

Poet and novelist Helen Dunmore, winner of the very first Orange Prize, returns to the setting of her acclaimed novel, The Siege, for a gripping and moving portrait of life in post-war Soviet Russia. Set in Leningrad in 1952, it reunites us with Andrei, a young hospital doctor and Anna, a nursery school teacher, who are forging a life together. But Stalin is in power and when Andrei has to treat the seriously ill child of a secret police officer, he finds himself and his family caught in an impossible game of life and death. Helen will be interviewed by author and film-maker Paul Bryers.

The Betrayal - Fig Tree
Sponsored by HW Fisher

Meet the authors of Nature’s Playground and Go Wild whose inspirational ideas encourage children and families to get outside and enjoy the natural world. Explore Mill Meadows and have a go at making wonderful woodland puppets and magical creatures from natural materials such as clay, sticks, feathers and seeds. Family event suitable for children up to the age of 12 who must be accompanied by an adult.

Lucy and Miranda are behind The Contemporary Women Writers’ Club, six British-based writers, some established, others emerging, who meet regularly around their kitchen tables to discuss new ideas and approaches to fiction. Through Queenbee Press they published The Leap Year, the first collection of short stories from the group. Join Lucy, Miranda and friends for an insight into their writing world that will certainly inspire.

Relax, have a cup of coffee, admire the view and enjoy the wonders of the spoken word. Nothing typifies the values and traditions of the Festival more than the River Readings. Some of the greatest poetry written is about love and war and this year Nansi Diamond has made her evocative selection of prose and poetry from this rich creative seam. Jeremy Child, Rula Lenska, Susie Fairfax and Hiram Bleetman are our hosts as the boat gently drifts downstream and be moved by some of the greatest lines ever written.

The incredible success of We Need To Talk About Kevin, about a teenage mass murderer, catapulted Shriver to world-wide fame and now she sets her critical sights on the cost, financially and emotionally, of American health care. It tells the story of an American couple, Shep and Glynis, about to leave for a new life on an island off Africa when Glynis discovers she has a terminal illness. Having sold Shep’s business to make the dream of an idyllic retirement come true, they are faced with the money going to pay for her health care. In defiance of the dark subject matter, the novel asks the question: How much is one life worth? The Daily Telegraph's Lorna Bradbury is the interviewer.

So Much for That - HarperCollins
Sponsored by HW Fisher

Probably the most intriguing title of the year is the new novel from one of our finest writers. It charts the journey of Maf the Maltese terrier, the hero of this critically acclaimed book, from Sussex to Hollywood; Maf ends up with Frank Sinatra who then presents him to Marilyn Monroe. The subtle, funny and moving story is narrated by Maf and confirms O’Hagan’s place as one of our most intelligent and compelling writers. Today he will be talking to the Daily Telegraph arts editor Sarah Crompton.

The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe -
Faber and Faber
Sponsored by Towergate Risk Solutions

The 2,000 mile Spartacus Road through Italy, along which the slave army fought its Roman enemies, is the inspiration for this illuminating book from the former editor of The Times. To research it, Sir Peter, now editor of The Times Literary Supplement, retraced the steps of the gladiators. Part ancient history, part modern travelogue, part memoir, this event is a must for anyone who loves Italy, and history. Another former Fleet Street editor, Donald trelford, leads way with the questions.

On the Spartacus Road - A Spectacular Journey Through Ancient Italy- HarperPress

So how difficult can it be to write for children? All parents tell their children stories so it must be easy just to write them down? In this workshop, leading agent Julia Churchill, author Michael Ford, creator of the popular Spartan Warrior series, and a publisher explain its complexities, inspire you to get writing and show how to get published. It could be the next Harry Potter …

The inner lives of one of our finest poets, John Keats, and one of our greatest artists, John Constable, are explored in two books that chart the friendships and loves that defined them. Sue Brown’s Joseph Severn, a Life: The Rewards of Friendship - Oxford University Press relates the moving final months of Keats’ life in her biography of the artist friend who nursed the poet until his death in Rome in 1821. Keats’ tragedy, says Brown, went beyond physical suffering to emotional anguish at leaving his ‘bright star’ Fanny Brawne and how little he thought had achieved. Martin Gayford, art critic of the Spectator, examines how Constable fell in love with local vicar’s daughter Maria Bicknell. Constable was a penniless painter and her family frowned on any possible union, and for seven years they were forced to correspond and meet clandestinely. Author and film-maker Paul Bryers is the interviewer.

Constable in Love - Penguin tells of the love affair’s tragic conclusion which haunted the artist’s final paintings

No one has done more to popularise culture than Melvyn Bragg, who fronted the South Bank Show for 32 years with a unique style of charming, persuasive, and smiling but incisive interrogation. He will be talking about his two latest books, one reflecting on the South Bank Show, the other on his hugely popular Radio 4 series. A wonderful opportunity to hear from a man who broke down barriers and made people realise that art is something that is truly accessible. Bragg will be interviewed by the Daily Telegraph’s Gillian Reynolds.

In Our Time - Hodder
The South Bank Show: Final Cut - Hodder
Sponsored by SJD Events

One of Britain’s best-known broadcasters and military historians discusses the Duke of Wellington’s seven year drive to defeat Napoleon with enthusiasm and verve. He tracks the development of Wellington’s leadership, and his relationship with the men he led from Portugal in 1808, to their final destruction of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in a campaign that changed the future of Europe. It was also the first war in history to be comprehensively recorded in a rich treasure house of diaries and journals. He will be introduced by Barry Wood.

To War with Wellington - John Murray
Sponsored by PINK SAUCER VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

Book covers are an art form in themselves and there is no more talented exponent than Hannah Firmin, a graduate of the Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art who works as a freelance illustrator and printmaker. In 2004 she won Best Book Cover of the Year at the British Book Awards for her cover of Alexander McCall Smith’s book ‘The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’ and illustrated the covers for the rest of the ten-book series.

Down in peaceful Poppledown Town everyone knows that there’s sure to be trouble when a family of bumbling dragons bursts on the scene. And trouble there is when the local market is turned upside down, the library is louder than ever and the local playgroup has never experienced such disruptive pupils! Will Poppledown Town EVER be the same again? For 3-6 year olds.

Few authors have written as prolifically as Booker Prize-winning Penelope Lively, whose works include a range of children’s books and 16 hugely popular novels. In her latest novel, lauded as one of her best, we are shown what lies behind the apparently idyllic family life of Alison, who has brought up six children in Allersmead, an Edwardian mansion. As the novel unfolds, it becomes clear that all is not as placid as it seems. The secrets that lie beneath the surface of family life are revealed through her distant husband and the children’s view of their home. Author Selina Hastings will interview the novelist.

Family Album - Fig Tree

In a remarkable legal career, Gareth Peirce appeared for the Guildford Four, the Birmingham Six, the family of Jean Charles de Menezes and Moazzam Begg, a British Muslim held at Guantanamo Bay. For more than 20 years, Peirce represented many wrongly accused Irish men and women who stood trial in England with over 20 successful appeals. The Guildford Four were later freed by the Court of Appeal and the story was made into a controversial film, In The Name Of The Father. Gareth argues that there needs to be a similar accounting of the British government’s activities to those brought in by President Obama. Peirce will be talking about her book with Joshua Rozenberg, Britain’s best-known commentator on the law.

Dispatches from the Dark Side: on Torture and the Death of Justice - Verso

The marital therapist and playwright examines the fraught subject of infidelity, which so often spells the end of a relationship. He will also be explaining why people cheat, the sort of marriages that are most likely to fall prey to infidelity and how to affair proof your relationship. With 25 years experience as a therapist, he has fascinating views on this complex and high emotional subject, which he reveals to Lesley Garner.

How Can I Ever Trust You Again - Bloomsbury

Every parent knows the enjoyment of reading to their children and the thrill of seeing them read themselves. But what sort of books should you buy for them or borrow from the library? Together with librarian Leonie Flynn and publisher Susan Reuben, Hahn has produced two hugely successful books to help parents choose the right reading for their children. Broadcaster Emma Freud talks with Hahn about the vexed question of finding the right book for your children from classics to newly=published books.

The Ultimate Book Guide and The Ultimate First Book Guide - A&C

Very much the man of the moment, and with the book of the moment. Hutton was called in by the new Government to lead the drive to cut public sector pay and his new book, an examination of fairness and due desert, is equally timely. One of the pre-eminent economics commentators in the country, he worked in the City as a stockbroker and investment analyst before moving to the BBC. For four years he was editor-in-chief of the Observer, for which he continues to write a weekly column, as well as advising senior political and business figures. Barry Wood will make the introduction.

Them and Us - Politics, Greed and Inequality -Why We Need a Fair Society -
Little Brown

So how much DO you know about rock’n’roll? Do you know your Elvis Presley from your Elvis Costello? Your feuding Gallagher Brothers from the battling Davies siblings? Are you a gold disc or a one-hit wonder? Find out in our pop quiz led by leading music journo John Harris, who has produced the ultimate guide to the music, myths and madness that is rock ‘n’ roll. A fascinating hour looms as Harris and his brother Hywel turn the festival format on its head by asking the audience questions.

Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll - Sphere
Sponsored by The Lamb at Satwell

Listen to Thames valley poets Adrian Blamires and Susan Utting in the atmospheric surroundings of this cafe in Friday Street. Two Rivers Press is Reading-based, specializing in finely-produced books of poetry and local history, in collaboration with local artists and designers. Adrian will read from his new book, The Pang Valley, while Susan will read from her Two Rivers collection Houses Without Walls and more recent poems.

The inimitable humourist, satirist and journalist Craig Brown appears with renowned actress Eleanor Bron in what promises to be one of the highlights of the Festival. Bron and Brown present a world seen through the diaries of the rich and famous ... well almost. Brown’s comic writing genius has entertained readers through his newspaper columns for years and now his wonderfully imaginative Lost Diaries purport to show how 200 well known people saw the year.

The Lost Diaries - Fourth Estate