Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and will be among the big names at this year’s Ilkley Literature Festival.

Organisers of the festival have unveiled the top names in the line-up for the 37th annual event, running from October 1 to 17.

Broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson, Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee, comedian, actor and author Alexei Sayle, broadcaster Peter Snow, Fatima Bhutto – niece of Benazir Bhutto – and American author Audrey Niffenegger are also on the bill of this year’s festival.

Top Indian media figure Kishwar Desai will discuss her first novel, Witness the Night, with fellow author Aminatta Forna in another highlight of the festival.

More prominent names in the world of writing will be revealed when the festival announces its full programme next month.

Festival director Rachel Feldberg said: “We’re delighted to have such a great line-up already and this is just the start. Each year we look forward to meeting authors attending the festival for the first time but we’re also honoured that so many previous speakers enjoy themselves so much they are happy to come back.

“Audiences and speakers alike love coming to Ilkley. The Festival team pride themselves on the warm welcome and keen support they can give our authors, but the town itself more than matches our efforts and last year we had more than 22,000 very contented visitors.”

Further 2010 highlights include visits by Labour MP and anti-apartheid campaigner Peter Hain, who has written a biography of Nelson Mandela, due for release in September.

A lively fringe is again set to accompany the festival, with the children’s festival weekend on October 9 and 10.

Tickets will be available to Friends of the Festival from August 18, and will go on general release on Tuesday, August 31. Friends membership is available until July 31.

For more information go to ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk or call (01943) 815714.