Tickets have just gone on sale for the University of Warwick Book Festival, 'Worlds of History', which takes place on Saturday 15 June at Warwick Arts Centre.

The new festival is an initiative launched by the Institute of Advanced Study in partnership with Queen Mary University, London, and celebrates some of the finest contemporary writing on a diverse range of historical periods, themes and ideas.

Some of the highlights of the day include Ben Macintyre, Associate Editor of The Times speaking about Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies, described by critics as an “utterly gripping story” about the five key D-Day double agents. A panel on Bletchley Park will feature intelligence specialists Sinclair McKay and Michael Smith, while Peter Hennessy will lead a panel “Spies and Secrecy” with Calder Walton and Christopher Moran.

Literature fans will enjoy hearing bestselling biographer Paula Byrne (author of Perdita and Mad World) on her highly acclaimed new work 'The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things', Nicholas Roe will be talking about his landmark work 'Keats: A New Life', and Shakespeare specialists will reflect on the World Shakespeare Festival of 2012.

Warwick writing initiatives will have a strong presence at the Festival. The Warwick Prize for Writing panel will welcome back 2011 winner Peter Forbes to read from his work, and Ian Sansom, chair of the 2013 judging panel, will announce the longlist for the 2013 Prize.

Michael Hulse and Donald Singer will be joined by winners of the Hippocrates Initiative for Poetry and Medicine, and a celebration of The Warwick Review’s Silver Jubilee issue will feature award-winning novelist Kirsty Gunn and highly acclaimed poet Lesley Saunders.

Student writers will also be showcasing their work throughout the day.

Find out more

Full details and a programme are available on the Warwick Book Festival website. Tickets can be booked via the Arts Centre on their dedicated booking page for the event on 024 7652 4524 or by email. You can also follow the Festival on Twitter @UoWBookFestival