THE Penzance LitFest is in a celebratory mood as it gears up for its 15th edition, which this year will run from Tuesday, July 7 to Saturday. July 11.

Heading the line-up is comedy legend and best-selling author Dawn French, speaking about her intriguing new novel, ENOUGH, with international theatre and film director Michael Grandage.

More laughter is in store when Kernow King appears in the festival’s opening show, Kernewek Live! celebrating Cornwall and Cornish language and dialect.

Also in the programme is the festival’s patron, Patrick Gale, who’ll be revealing the fascinating family history behind his new novel, Love Lane.

The Guardian’s TV critic, Lucy Mangan, will talk about the reading adventures that inspired her to write Bookish: A Love Letter to Reading.

Lucy’s Guardian colleague, the cookery writer Felicity Cloake, will join fellow food journalist Orlando Murrin as they discuss switching from writing recipes to penning works of fiction.

Among leading lights of the crime fiction genre taking to the LitFest stage are Harriet Tyce, star of the BBC’s The Traitors and best-selling author; Emylia Hall, creator of the popular series The Shell House Detectives; cult Scottish crime writer, Chris Brookmyre; and Simon Mason, whose Oxford-set DI Wilkins novels have attracted widespread critical acclaim.

Non-fiction subjects range from Sir Humphry Davy to Ozzy Osbourne and from church architecture to the history of Islam in Europe.

This year’s programme of writing workshops will provide inspiration for fledgling novelists, while literary walks will reveal hidden literary and historical facets of Penzance.

A custom-built mobile version of the Southbank Centre’s National Poetry Library will be parked on Penzance promenade from 2 to 6pm on Monday, July 6 and from 10am to 5pm on Tuesday, July 7.

Visitors can view a touring exhibition and take part in free, interactive poetry activities.

For more information, visit: www.pzlitfest.co.uk