ELKIE Brooks will sing and 50 years of the Rolling Stones will be celebrated.

So there is no denying that next month’s Blenheim Palace Literary Festival will bring a touch of rock n’ roll to Woodstock.

Elkie Brooks, one of the UK’s biggest-selling female artists, is the latest addition to the bill and will provide a fitting grand finale at the literary festival, which runs from September 12 to 16.

She will be singing in The Orangery at the Palace on Sunday after talking with broadcaster David Freeman about her new book Finding My Voice.

Mr Freeman will also be talking to The Rolling Stones biographer Philip Norman, whose new book Mick Jagger is being published to coincide with the band’s 50th birthday.

The festival’s black-tie dinner on September 14, in the presence of the Duke of Gloucester will hear from Frederick Forsyth, with the best-selling writer – whose books include Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and The Cobra – named as guest speaker.

The former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Ashdown, a former member of the Royal Marines’ elite Special Boat Service (SBS), will be at the festival to talk about his new book A Brilliant Little Operation, the story of the Second World War ‘cockleshell heroes’ who paddled canoes 100 miles up the Gironde estuary to sink German ships in Bordeaux.

Dr Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland, is another senior politician confirmed to appear. She will talking about her memoir Everybody Matters.

One of the most eagerly- awaited talks will be given by the ‘greatest Jesus scholar of his generation’ Geza Vermes, of Boars Hill, who will discuss his new work Christian Beginnings.

Other speakers appearing include the poet and ex-Scaffold member Roger McGough, novelist and biographer A.N.Wilson, chef Ken Hom, the actress and cookery writer Madhur Jaffrey and ex-Test cricketer Angus Fraser.

Tickets are available online at blenheimpalaceliteraryfestival.com or via the box office on 01865 305305. Bookings can also be made in person at Oxford Playhouse and at The Feathers Hotel in Woodstock.