Participating authors include Michael Palin, Clare Balding and Cressida Cowell

Now into its fourth year, the Chiswick Book Festival – one of west London 's literary highlights - returns with a stellar line up from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th September .

Michael Palin will speak at a special pre-Festival event on Thursday 13th September in the splendour of Chiswick House and Gardens, now a fixture in the festival schedule. Michael will be talking about his new novel The Truth and on Brazil , the latest in his hugely popular series of travel books and TV programmes.

The Chiswick Book Festival 2012 will be officially opened by international bestselling local children's author Cressida Cowell , followed by the keynote event with novelist and journalist A. N. Wilson on Friday evening. Wilson will be discussing his new book on Josiah Wedgwood and his extraordinary family.  

Clare Balding and Antony Beevor are the headline speakers on Saturday evening, sharing insights about their latest books. Clare will be discussing her first book My Animals and Other Family with novelist India Knight and Antony will be telling festival goers about his non-fiction work The Second World War. On Sunday afternoon BBC journalist and Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine takes to the stage.

Other literary stars include authors Julia Gregson and Lucinda Riley speaking about their novels based in part around World War II. Author M.C. Beaton will be looking back on ‘20 years of Agatha Raisin', Sophie Hannah , Stav Sherez and Michael Marshall will be discussing the intricacies of crime and Kate Colquhoun talks about historical novels with Lawrence Norfolk.

Saturday afternoon will also see a cookery themed event with acclaimed Daily Telegraph columnist and bestselling cookbook author Rose Prince , while gardens get a look in with a refreshing take on how to create a garden in a year with Laetitia Maklouf.

The successful children's poetry competition which began in 2011 is continuing in 2012 and has received a record number of entries this year. Young people between the ages of 8-13 were invited to write a poem at home or at school, about any topic that appealed to their imagination. Results will be revealed on the Saturday. Elsewhere at the festival, budding poets and authors alike are served well once again with an extensive poetry programme and a seminar on creative writing run by the prestigious National Academy of Writing.

Torin Douglas , Festival Director said, ‘This 4th Chiswick Book Festival is packed with wonderful authors and enjoys huge local enthusiasm and support.  Whether you are looking to escape into another world or to learn about another country or an episode in history, our programme promises to deliver a weekend of fun, fame and fantastic authors. We are delighted to be welcoming, once again, such a brilliant and diverse line-up of writers.'

Since its birth in 2009, Chiswick Book Festival has been proud to host many top writers spanning a variety of genres and appealing to a wide ranging audience. The Festival has attracted authors of the calibre of Lady Antonia Fraser, Sir Terry Pratchett, Sir Andrew Motion, Anthony Horowitz, Jacqueline Wilson, Val McDermid, Lynn Barber, Allison Pearson, Michael Frayn and Claire Tomalin.

Once again, the Festival will be based in the heart of Chiswick at St Michael & All Angels Church and Parish Hall, close to Turnham Green tube station. Events will also take place at the popular Tabard Theatre and Chiswick House. Waterstone's Chiswick will again be on site selling copies of books by all the authors. The Chiswick Book Festival is a non-profit-making community event. Over the past three years, it has raised over £16,500 for three charities, all of which support reading, literacy and the arts.

August 11, 2012