MARY Portas, MP David Lammy, Mark Austin and Vic Marks are among the speakers lined-up for Salisbury International Arts Festival.

Retail champion Mary Portas will be talking about her new book, Work Like A Woman, at Salisbury Playhouse on Friday, May 31.

MP David Lammy, who was GQ’s politician of the year in 2018 and has made a name as an MP will be appearing at the Guildhall on Monday, June 3.

News anchor Mark Austin has covered the biggest stories at home and abroad for ITV and Sky News for more than 30 years. On Friday, June 7 at Salisbury Playhouse he will share extraordinary stories from the frontline.

And former cricketer Vic Marks is taking time out from a busy World Cup schedule to share anecdotes and look ahead to England’s fortunes in the sport’s flagship competition and the Ashes, at Salisbury Playhouse on Tuesday, June 4.

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Authors speaking at the Festival include Victoria Hislop (The Island, The Return), Alison Weir (Six Tudor Queens), Minette Walters (The Turn of Midnight) and Sunday Times columnist Bryony Gordon (Mad Girl).

Stephen Moss (Tweet of the Day, Mrs Moreau’s Warbler) and RSPB Global Conservation director Martin Harper will talk about the life of birds in separate events.

And former Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger will be in conversation with LBC presenter Matthew Stadlen about career-making moments including the exposé of the phone hacking scandal, the Guardian’s coverage of Wikileaks and its Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting of Edward Snowden’s surveillance revelations.

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Other world politics will come from Diana Darke whose latest book tells the true story of a Syrian ambulance driver who built a cat sanctuary in war-torn Aleppo; Robin Merrill, one of the few journalists to actually witness the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989; Chris Rapley, professor of climate science at UCL; and Tim Marshall who explores the fault lines shaping our world and emerging technologies.

Music will feature in talks by conductor Mark Wigglesworth and pianist Andreas Boyde – both in conversation with guest festival Director Jonathan Dove.

For tickets or more information go to wiltshirecreative.co.uk or 01722 320333.