Author Louis de Bernières will be the star attraction at this year’s Marlborough LitFest, as the event celebrates its fifth year.

Mr de Bernières is most famous for his bestseller, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and will be this year’s Golding Speaker, named in honour of author William Golding, who grew up in Marlborough.

The novel, which was made into a film starring Nicolas Cage, has been translated into 11 languages and won the Common-wealth Writer’s Prize for best book.

Also known for his 2004 tale, Birds Without Wings, Mr de Bernières has now written nine novels.

His first, The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts, was published in 1990 and won the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize.

He has had variety of jobs, including landscape gardener, mechanic, officer cadet at Sandhurst and teacher in England and in Colombia.

He is working on a new novel and will open the Marlborough festival on Friday, September 26, at 7.30pm.

Headlining on Saturday night will be Lynne Truss, known for her international bestselling book about punctuation and grammar, Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

Her first novel for more than 10 years has just been published, a comic horror novella called Cat Out of Hell.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will be giving a talk on the war poets during the centenary of the start of the First World War.

Also appearing will be Sarah Dunant, Jenny Uglow, Naomi Wood and Nina Stibbe.

Mavis Cheek, founder patron of the LitFest, said: “This year’s line up will take your breath away with its range and diversity. We stand by our undertaking to bring you the very best authors and I am very proud to be associated with our wonderful Festival.”

The festival runs from September 25 to 28 and has more than 20 events covering adult and children’s fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Tickets are on sale at The White Horse Bookshop and Pound Arts on (01249) 701628 and (01249) 712618.

They can also be booked online at www.poundarts.org.uk. For details, www.marlboroughlitfest.org