TICKETS for the Marlborough LitFest have been selling out fast and the last minute touches are being made to venues ahead of the annual celebration of all things literature.

With just days to go until the festival takes over the town, with a schedule stocked full of literary events for everyone, organisers have been providing tips about the must see sessions. With a reputation for bringing both up and coming and established authors together in front of new audiences, the Marlborough LitFest has entered its eighth year.

This year the stand out speaker is broadcaster, journalist and author Will Self who will be discussing his new novel, ‘Phone’.

For younger audiences the festival will be holding free storytelling for under fives and under eights at Marlborough Library and in The Whitehorse Bookshop.

Jan Williamson, chair of the LitFest said: “We have another exciting line up of fiction and non fiction authors for this year’s Festival. Tickets are going fast so please book yours now!”

Sell out events includes Will Self, Frank Gardner, Vanessa Lafaye.

In a major first for the event, bestselling author of The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell, will read three new, unpublished short stories focusing on themes of gardening, autism and time. The writer has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize twice, and will be joining audiences on Saturday evening at 7.30pm in the town hall.

Authors of household favourites including the Horrid Henry Series and author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas will also appear at the festival to talk about their new projects.

In the bicentenary year of Jane Austen’s death, a drama performance of ‘Jane Austen At Home’, taking place in Marlborough College, will celebrate the life and writings of the author using her letters, poems and diary entries.

History buffs and food enthusiasts might enjoy food historian Annie Gray’s exploration into what was eaten when and by whom during Victorian times in her latest book, The Greedy Queen: Eating With Victoria. Annie regularly appears on Radio 4 and BBC2’s Victorian Bakers.

Ahead of the Translation Duel on Saturday afternoon in St Mary's Church Hall, literary translator Rosalind Harvey encouraged people to try something new and added, said: “They’re really fun, both for the participants and the audience. It’s a really good way to demystify the process of translation for people who might not have had the chance to think about it before.”