Now that the programme of events for the Third Guernsey Literary Festival has been announced, it’s time to decide what to go and see between the 15th - 18th May, and get those tickets booked.  Here’s five things I’m looking forward to:

WRITING WORKSHOPS WITH ANDREW MOTION, STEPHEN MAY AND CANDY NEUBERT

If you’re an aspiring writer at any level, there are probably few better ways to invest £15 and a few hours of your time than to attend one of the workshops that will be taking place over the weekend.  Take your pick of former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion, screenwriter / novelist Stephen May, teen author Cathy Cassidy, poets Candy Neubert and Mario Petrucci, or be greedy and go to as many as you can!

BIBLIOTHERAPHY WITH ELLA BERTHOUD

I must admit to being a little bit sceptical when I stepped in for my bibliotherapy session with Ella Berthoud at the last Litfest.  But Ella’s infectious energy made it very easy to talk to her and she managed to send me away with some interesting recommendations that transcended the usual connections between authors’ work.

She will also be presenting ‘The Novel Cure’ on Friday 16th, and interviewing local politician John Gollop on Saturday 17th (both events at The Hub).

ADVENTURES WITH THE WIFE IN SPACE

Have you ever spent time trying to explain a personal obsession to a loved one, desperate to persuade them of the the merits of... a film, a type of music, a football team?  Or maybe you’ve been on the other side of the divide, patiently listening to the enthusiastic ramblings of an other half?  Or perhaps you’re just a fan of Doctor Who?

Meet Neil Perryman, a Doctor Who fan who persuaded his wife to watch the entire classic series of Doctor Who, from beginning to end.  He wrote a blog about it, published a book and will be speaking in the Hub on Sunday 18th.

ROBERT RANKIN

Purveyor of ‘Far-Fetched Fiction’ (he reputedly created the genre in the hope of getting his own section in bookshops), Robert Rankin has written a great number of novels that don’t quite sit neatly under the umbrellas of fantasy, science fiction or steampunk.  He so obviously takes great enjoyment from writing, peppering his work with puns and recurring themes to construct a world that is unmistakably his own.  Mr Rankin will speak at Castle Cornet on Saturday 17th.

FARRAGO POETRY

Cajoled into attending the Poetry Slam Final at the end of a long, tiring weekend at the 2012 Litfest, for me it turned out to be a surprise highlight.  Run by London’s Farrago Poetry group, work put together by local teenagers was interspersed with performances by the visiting poets.  This time round, catch Farrago’s Open Mic at The Caves on Saturday 17th, before rounding off your weekend with the Poetry Slam Final on Sunday 18th.

By Ric Carter