The fourth annual Manx Litfest will be the most diverse yet, say the organisers.

'Chocolat' author Joanne Harris leads the line up of visiting authors and illustrators, along with Matthew Kneale, the author of Booker-shortlisted English Passengers, and Labour MP Alan Johnson.

The festival runs from September 22-27 at venues around the island. Many of the events are free. Visit www.manxlitfest.com for full details.

Festival director John Quirk said: 'We think this is our most diverse festival yet, in terms of the range of genres and events. We’ve got Alan Johnson at the Gaiety, Joanne Harris speaking about her latest book, The Gospel of Loki, a Famous Five and Secret Seven inspired Family Day at Mooragh Park, and a “whisky vs gin showdown” with author Ian Buxton.

'We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Kneale back to the Island. Matthew is the son of the late screenwriter Nigel Kneale, whose most famous creation was the 1950s TV science fiction series, The Quatermass Experiment. Nigel’s family was Manx and he was educated here, and on the Friday (September 25th), Matthew will host a celebration of his father’s work, including a screening of Quatermass, at the Manx Museum.'

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