Woodstock is gearing up for its second literary festival after last year's event attracted 2,000 visitors.

This year's Woodstock Celebrates Books' takes place from October 12 to 15, and organisers are hoping the event will once again provide a major financial boost for the town.

Highlights will include talks by writer and dramatist John Mortimer, broadcaster Jeremy Paxman, novelist Colin Dexter and Tory leader and Witney MP David Cameron.

Hotels are already booked out weeks in advance as book fans get set to hear their favourite authors at venues including the town hall, Blenheim Palace and the King's Arms Hotel.

There were 35 authors at the event last year, including Robert Hardy, Fay Weldon and Michael Buerk.

Festival organiser Sally Dunsmore said: "What better place to celebrate books than in Woodstock, with its delightful small personal shops, enticing restaurants, inviting tearooms, centuries-old hotels and Blenheim Palace, one of the very few Unesco World Heritage sites in this country.

"Whether you come for the day or stay for the weekend, Woodstock and literature will be waiting to welcome you.

"We had so much encouragement from people who visited the festival last year that we have decided to make it a day longer this time. We have been very lucky to get so many well-known authors coming here."

This year, there are 41 events featuring novelists, historians, biographers and politicians.

Local author John Mortimer starts the festival by reading from his new novel, Rumpole and the Reign of Terror, on Thursday, October 12, at 3pm in St Mary Magdalene Church in Park Street. This is followed by a talk on royalty by Oxfordshire-based BBC broadcaster Jeremy Paxman in the same venue at 5pm.

On Friday, at 2.15pm in the town hall, David Cameron talks with Godfrey Howard about politics and the English language.

At 4pm in the same venue, Oxford writer and playwright Angela Huth talks about her collection of memorial addresses.

Family events include Geraldine McCaughrean talking about Peter Pan in Scarlet, her official sequel to JM Barrie's classic, at St Mary Magdalene Church in Park Street, on Saturday, October 14 at 2.15pm, and authors Liz Kessler, Matthew Skelton and Eleanor Updale will be talking to pupils from Marlborough and Woodstock Primary schools.

On Sunday, October 15, at the town hall at 11am, Derek Holmes, editor of The Oxford Times, will be talking to Alistair Lack about The Future of Your News.

For more details, call 01993 813632.