Melvyn Bragg, Carol Ann Duffy + Ruth Rendell at Keswick’s Words by the Water

Lovers of books, words and ideas can indulge their literary passions in a striking lakeside venue at this year’s Words by the Water Festival in Keswick. Every town and city seems to have a literature festival nowadays, but this one is surely up with the best of them for its location alone. For ten days, Theatre by the Lake, which sits right on the edge of Lake District destination Derwentwater, is home to more than 90 talks, lectures, discussions, workshops, book launches and special exhibitions, engaging with everything from history and science to environmentalism and ethics, from the likes of politicians, writers, broadcasters and comedians. Highlights include broadcaster Melvyn Bragg (pictured) on scholar and theologian Willian Tyndale, politician Jack Straw in conversation with journalist and former MP Chris Mullin, and advice from Financial Times columnist Mrs Moneypenny (all Sat 2 Mar). The festival then continues with a history of Britain told through postage stamps (Sun 3 Mar), composer Howard Goodall on the history of music (Thu 7 Mar), poet Carol Ann Duffy accompanied by multi-instrumentalist John Sampson on period instruments (Fri 8 Mar), journalists Polly Toynbee and David Walker assessing David Cameron’s performance, half way through his term in government (Sat 9 Mar), philosopher AC Grayling on religious belief and alternative views (also Sat 9 Mar) and crime writer Ruth Rendell (Sun 10 Mar), along with much, much more.

Fri 1 – Sun 10 Mar, Theatre by the Lake, Lake Road, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5DJ, various times and prices, Tel: 017687 74411, www.wayswithwords.co.uk