Residents and visitors to County Durham can look forward to a long weekend of books, new writing, ideas, and conversation with the return of Durham Book Festival this month.

Exciting international speakers and home-grown talent are set to arrive at Gala Durham and the city’s Clayport Library from Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 October. Commissioned by Durham County Council, the festival once again places culture at the heart of ambitious plans to regenerate the county and attract more visitors to the area.

Across the weekend, Gala Durham will host a number of world-renowned writers and comedians. This includes Alexander McCall Smith, who will return to the festival after a particularly busy year in his illustrious career on Friday 14 October.

Guardian columnist Marina Hyde; journalist Brian Groom, author of Northerners, and festival laureate Hannah Lowe, are also part of the packed programme.

Visitors will also be taken on a journey from Durham to DC as Fiona Hill talks about her journey from County Durham to the White House. Fiona will join audiences via video link from Durham’s twin city of Tübingen, Germany, to discuss her recent book There is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century.

Free books and special events for adults and children are also on offer with the return of the festival’s Big Read Little Read. This year’s Big Read is a brand-new short story by best-selling crime writer LJ Ross, commissioned exclusively for the festival and inspired by Durham.

Residents can pick up a free copy at the council’s libraries and see LJ Ross discussing her life and work at Gala Durham on Saturday 15 October. Meanwhile, children and families can visit Clayport Library on the Saturday as part of this year’s Little Read, which is a charming picture book, Polonius the Pit Pony, by Richard O’Neill.  Free copies of the book will be distributed to primary schools and nurseries across the county, with Richard also taking part in the library’s Little Read Storytime.

And events at Gala Durham are also available to live-stream if anyone is unable to make it to Durham. These can be watched at home for just £5 per household, ensuring all residents can access cultural opportunities.

Durham Book Festival is just one of the many cultural events and activities taking place in the county this year, demonstrating the council’s ongoing commitment to culture-led regeneration. This includes delivering key projects within the county’s shortlisted UK City of Culture bid and raising the county’s profile as a fantastic place to live, work, visit and invest.

It also includes progressing major capital projects, such as the redevelopment of the former DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery into a stunning new creative centre showcasing national and international contemporary art alongside collections that celebrate the county’s heritage.