Chester's annual literature festival moves into a new home this autumn with a line-up that includes a former Prime Minister, an award-winning poet and household names from TV and radio. 

The 2017 Chester Literature Festival will occupy spaces throughout new cultural centre Storyhouse, which opened earlier this year, using the main theatre space, the Garret Theatre, The Kitchen restaurant and the library.

Former PM Gordon Brown will make an appearance to talk about his new memoir, My Life, Our Times, while poets Hollie McNish and Lemn Sissay, broadcasters Jeremy Vine and Pam Ayres and a raft of novelists, bloggers, playwrights, performers and musicians have also signed up for the event – which runs from November 12 to 19. 

Alex Clifton, Storyhouse’s artistic director said: “This year’s festival comes to its new home in the city’s incredible Storyhouse.

“We are very much looking forward to welcoming some of the country’s finest writers and thinkers to Chester, during eight days of inspiring events.”

Previously, the festival had events laid on across the city – with many based at the Town Hall. 

On Sunday, November 12, the festival opens with a performance on the Storyhouse stage by singer Roderick Williams and members of Ensemble Deva – Storyhouse’s in-house chamber musician group.

They will perform a new setting of Coleridge’s masterpiece The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Chester-born composer Howard Skempton. He will talk about the piece.

Poetry is once again at the heart of the festival line-up with Ted Hughes award-winning poet Hollie McNish guest directing a weekend of events. 

Some of the UK’s finest broadcasters will descend on Chester, with Pam Ayres presenting an evening of her memoirs in a show to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Former Newsnight anchor Peter Snow, CNN’s Ann McMillan and Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine will also appear. 

Call the Midwife actor Stephen McGann discusses his autobiography and presenter Ben Fogle debates what it is to be English, while Mr Brown's visit to Chester is on Thursday, November 16. 

The full list of events and ticket information can be found at www.storyhouse.com.