The Isle of Wight Literary Festival opens next Thursday with Jeremy Bowen, Lynda LaPlante and Joanna Trollope among the top writers appearing.

The four-day festival, based around Northwood House in Cowes, has everything from top novelists to politicians on the menu.

The festival is celebrating its tenth year and tickets are selling well with some events already sold out.

But what about the hidden gems lurking in the programme?

Here is our guide to ten of the best

1 Thursday 3.20pm — Barnaby Rogerson, features of classic travel books.

2 Thursday, 4.40pm — Keith Dewhurst, a writer's life, examining the past, considering the future.

3 Saturday, 2pm — Alan Titchmarsh talks about his latest novel, The Gift.

4 Saturday, 6.30pm — Tis Tales (Island writers).

5 Sunday, 1pm — Sandra Howard (wife of politician Michael) on her latest novel.

Read more: How to get tickets for Isle of Wight Literary Festival

Read more: Royal authors lined up for Northwood House

6 Sunday, 10.20am — Rosemary Shrager, a cooking writer on her first novel.

7 Sunday 1pm — Rhik Samadder: I Never Said I Loved You - about overcoming depression.

8 Sunday, 2.20pm — Max Dickens - Billy No Mates, How I realised men have a friendship problem.

9 Sunday, 3.40pm — Philip Ball - Book of Minds.

10 Saturday 11.20am — Ed Smith, former cricketer and cricket official on leadership

Also look out on Friday at 4.20pm for Langley Sharp on British Army leadership, at 3.40pm on Sunday for Chris Terrill on How to Build an Aircraft Carrier and 4.20pm on Friday for Mike Bannister on the history of Concorde and its decommissioning.