What’s on

I hope that with this year’s book festival we seek to dissect the international and to travel the world across history, conflict, art, diplomacy, international law and much more.

Four books this year touch on the West’s relationship with Russia. Anna Reid, Giles Milton and Jonathan Dimbleby cover the West’s intervention into the outcome of the Russian Revolution, the allies’ secret post-war mission to court Stalin, and the importance of the Soviet army to the endgame of the Second World War respectively. Geoffrey Robertson KC looks at the difficulties of bringing Putin to trial for his illegal invasion of Ukraine. The heroism, tenacity and contribution of foreign correspondents are celebrated with Martin Sixsmith’s heartbreaking story of resistance and collaboration in wartime Holland, while Frank Gardner discusses his dual career as both BBC Security Correspondent and bestselling thriller writer.

Former and current BBC employees are well-represented. Clive Myrie is a chief news correspondent with a bestselling memoir. Rory Cellan- Jones narrates an astonishing family story of secrets and lies within the same organisation. Further frequent media voices include Xinran, once Chinese radio personality now bestselling author; Lord McDonald, former Head of the Diplomatic Service; Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation; and Caroline Lucas, long-serving Green MP for Brighton Pavilion.

Donna Leon is one of The Times’ 50 Greatest Crime Writers. Donna’s Commissario Brunetti crime novels are set in Venice and have been translated into many languages. Donna’s memoir Wandering Through Life considers nearly nine decades of travel, opera and eating.

Sophie Grigson is a much-loved cookery writer who now counts Puglia as home. Italy is a slightly unintended but serendipitous theme this year. Dame Jane Glover’s Mozart in Italy is written with a profound understanding of both Italian music and country. Sir Antonio Pappano is an English-Italian conductor and pianist. His new memoir, My Life in Music, proclaims the restorative properties of classical music.

Art and poetry are represented by celebrated ceramicist Florian Gadsby, landscape is discussed by acclaimed cultural historian Alexandra Harris and the Poetry Pharmacist himself, William Sieghart, will be here to prescribe an aid to broken hearts and other life challenges.

Last year, Buxton felt as watery as Venice. Surely this year we deserve (Tuscan) blue skies and the faint scent of lemon groves. What I guarantee we can deliver is storytelling – mostly true, occasionally imagined, always opinion-forming and the warmth of our special BIF welcome.