SOME of the biggest political issues of the day will be discussed at the Bradford Literature Festival, which opens later this month.

Brexit, the war on terror, Donald Trump and fake news will be amongst the topics discussed in the political strand of the festival, which runs from June 30 to July 9.

There will also be heavy hitters from the political world, including Sayeeda Warsi, who will talk about Islam in Britain, and Harriet Harman, who is discussing her career as a high ranking female politician.

Since its inception, the festival’s annual strand on world affairs and politics has faced tough subjects head on and has addressed some of the key issues of our times both globally and locally.

This year the festival will host a lineup of world-renowned journalists, politicians and academics who will tackle the topics at the forefront of global and UK politics.

Other guests foreign correspondent, Christina Lamb, global security consultant Paul Rogers, and journalists Gary Younge and Yasmin Alibhai Brown.

The festival will feature more than 300 events in venues across the city centre. Some of the politics and world affairs themed events will include Blue Skies Over Brexit on Friday, June 30, from 12.15pm to 1pm, during which Ehsan Masood, editor of Research Fortnight, ventures into the biggest political earthquake that Britain has seen in 40 years.

The View from Kashmir, on Saturday, July 1, from 1pm to 2.15pm looks at the history of the dispute territory, while Nostopia, the same day and from 3.30pm to 4.30pm explores the consequences of the current trend of nostalgia and utopia being combined to promise a vision of our glorious history, regenerated to ‘rescue’ the masses from the ills of modern life.

The Muslim Problem, on Sunday, July 2, from 10.15am to 11.30am will feature a talk by lecturer in French and European Politics, Jim Wolfreys, Franco-British broadcaster, Myriam Francois, and International Relations expert, Dibyesh Anand, where they will discuss the current global trend of Islamophobia, the role played by governments and media and its political and personal ramifications for Muslims.

Professor Paul Rogers, of the University of Bradford, hosts Why We’re Losing the War on Terror on July 2 from 11.45am to 12.45pm.

Sayeeda Warsi in Conversation, again on July 2, runs from 2.30pm to 3.30pm and sees the politician discuss her book, The Enemy Within, which she draws on her own unique position as the child of Pakistani immigrants to explore questions of cultural difference, terrorism, surveillance, religious freedom, integration and the meaning of ‘British values’.

Labour politicians Harriet Harman and Rachel Reeves will present their political memoirs on Monday, July 3, from 7pm to 8pm, and journalist Gary Younge hosts Another Day in the Death of America on Saturday, July 8, from 1.15pm to 2.15pm which will document the long history and tragic consequences of firearms in a country where, on average, seven young people are shot and killed every 24 hours.

And foreign correspondent Christina Lamb will speak on Sunday, July 9, from noon to 1pm, sharing her stories from her travels around the world and providing her views about some of the most controversial issues of the day.

For a full line up of events, and to buy tickets, visit bradfordlitfest.co.uk/