LEDBURY Poetry Festival has launched its programme for this summer’s celebration of the spoken and written word, and it reveals a mix of celebrity names and high-flyers in the literary scene.

In many sense, this will be a festival of re-acquaintance, because many of the bigger names will be making a return to the Herefordshire market town, in 2018.

One star making a return this year will be legendary Python, the comedian, actor and presenter, Michael Palin.

He will celebrate “The Love Songs of WW3” , a tribute to Adrian Mitchell, and he will be on stage with Sasha Mitchell and Peter Moser.

Distinguished actor Michael Pennington, who was Michael Foot in the recent film, “The Iron Lady”, will be offering up his Desert Island Poems.

And Miles Jupp: actor, comedian and host of BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz will also reveal his love of verse.

Big names from the literary world will include Jackie Kay, one of Scotland’s most celebrated poets and writers, and Benjamin Zephaniah will also be making a popular return to the festival.

Benjamin Zephaniah will appear at the Community Hall on July 1, when he will discuss his remarkable life, including friendship with Nelson Mandela.

Another well-known name will be the American poet, Mark Doty, who will discuss the work and influence of Wallace Stevens, one of the great American modernists.

Wendy Cope, most famous for her humourous collection, “Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis” will also be making a return this year.

Chloe Garner, the festival’s artistic director said: “We aim to explore, unpick and illuminate the best contemporary poetry written in the world today.”

This year the Ledbury Celebration party will be in the High Street on Sunday July 8, from noon to 5pm.

The Festival will take place from Friday June 29 to Sunday July 8.

Further details at: www.poetry-festival.co.uk