Woodstock is gearing up for its third literary festival after last year's event attracted thousands of visitors to the town.

This year's Woodstock Celebrates Books takes place over three days, from Friday, October 12 and organisers are hoping it will again prove a big financial boost for local businesses.

Hotels are starting to book up, as literary fans prepare to hear their favourite authors at venues including Blenheim Palace, the Oxfordshire Museum and St Mary Magdalene Church.

Festival organiser Sally Dunsmore, who also helps run the Oxford Literary Festival, said the event was becoming well established on the literary calendar.

She added: "We are delighted that so many well-known authors now want to come to Woodstock, and the festival provides a tremendous boost for businesses in the town.

"The whole town gets behind the festival and there are lots of wonderful venues, including Blenheim Palace.

"I know hotels start to get booked up beforehand because Woodstock is such a lovely place to visit, so people who like books really want to make a weekend of it.

"The traders' organisation, Wake Up to Woodstock, supports the festival and some retailers have told us that last year the event gave them their best weekend of the whole year.

"There's a marvellous mix of authors, from AA Gill talking about food, to Max Hastings on history, and we feel very lucky to get Philip Pullman before the film of his book comes out at the end of the year.

"We are also delighted that John Mortimer, one of the highlights of last year's festival, is back for a second year running, talking to his biographer Valerie Grove.

"There is a lovely atmosphere in the town when the event is on and you can see people running from one reading to another."

Another highlight is a talk by former Home Secretary Douglas Hurd, who has written a biography of Robert Peel, the creator of the modern police force.

And gardening writer Stefan Buczacki will talk about his new book on Winston Churchill, which focuses on the houses he lived in and the gardens.

Daisy Goodwin will be talking about her memoirs of her childhood, Silver River, while Sandra Howard will read from her new novel, Ursula's Story.

For festival details, call 01993 813632.