LOVERS of literature are enjoying the Blenheim Palace Festival of Literature, Film & Music.

Highlights at the festival, which launched yesterday at the palace in Woodstock, and runs until Sunday, include an appearance by entertainers Nicholas Parsons and Gyles Brandreth.

They join forces on Sunday, at 11am in The Orangery, for a chat about their lives in TV and radio.

The duo often appear together on Radio 4’s Just a Minute, and are among the most in-demand speakers in the country.

Also on Sunday, at 12 noon in The Marlborough Room, author David Lough will talk about his new book, Darling Winston: Forty Years of Letters Between Churchill and his Mother.

The palace is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and the book focuses on a collection of letters between Sir Winston and his American mother Jennie Jerome.

The festival website said: “Other highlights of this year’s festival include An Afternoon with Jane Austen, featuring dramatic readings from the author’s works by actors Caroline Langrishe and Adrian Lukis, and period music performed by harpist Camilla Pay and soprano Rosie Lomas.”

Festival director Sally Dunsmore said: “We are grateful to all our sponsors for helping to make us the UK’s leading boutique literary festival this year.”

For more information visit blenheimpalaceliteraryfestival.com