The complete programme of events for this year's Swindon Festival of Literature will be unveiled on March 14.

The latest names to be revealed include Howard Marks, TV's The Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry and writer and former newspaper editor Rosie Boycott.

They will be joining the likes of BBC news presenter George Alagiah, investigative reporter John Pilger, former prime minister and cricket writer John Major and prize-winning novelist Julian Barnes.

A new event for this year will be Read Dating, which works like conventional speed dating but the conversation is based on books.

Festival director Matt Holland said: "The festival's profile and reputation continue to grow.

"Each year it attracts bigger names, a wider range of events, new partners, a larger following, and an ever more exciting exchange of ideas.

"It is a festival that is both loyal and promiscuous. But above all, at every level, it has become a fantastic celebration for Swindon of things well written and things well said.

"People of all ages and backgrounds have a very good time. They get together, meet authors, join in lively talk, explore new ideas, and even have a laugh. It is all very exciting."

Mr Holland says he is looking forward to the unusual, less well known but nevertheless fascinating authors dealing with serious and not-so-serious matters.

They include Xiaulo Guo on a Chinese-English dictionary of love, Hattie Ellis on planet chicken, and Jasvinder Sanghera on forced marriage in Shame and Nabeel, the poet of Bagdhad.

Also new this year is the Big Debate for Swindon on the role of the arts and culture and a day conference on climate change.

Michael Mansfield QC will speak on justice, guilt, and innocence, Ann Pettit on Walking to Greenham in Cold War days, Lucy Pringle on Crop Circles, and Gavin Preetor-Pinney on Cloudspotting.

The new programme will provide the first opportunity for people to discover what literary treats are in store for the town at more than 60 events from May 7 to 20.

The 36-page programme will be launched at Borders bookstore at the Orbital shopping centre at 12.30pm on March 14.

The Swindon Festival of Literature receives funding from Arts Council of England.