Politicians and authors set for Essex Book Festival

Shami Chakrabarti is one of the recently announced guests for the Essex Book Festival

A month-long book festival has announced its line-up, including writers and politicians.

Human rights activist and Labour peer Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, novelist Abi Daré and Labour MP Diane Abbott are among the writers who will appear at the Essex Book Festival.

Based across the county, the event is set to feature about 250 writers and artists.

Ros Green, festival director, said: "It is an opportunity for people to visit some truly intriguing - some might say unusual - locations for a book/literary festival."

The annual festival is taking place in more than 35 venues across Essex.

Ex-University of Essex student Sir Ben Okri will be launching the festival at Harwich's Electric Palace Cinema on 28 May.

Ms Green said: "Given the nature of the 'beast', it's almost impossible to encapsulate the huge range of festival events and activities that will be taking place across Essex."

The annual book festival takes part across Essex and welcomes about 250 guest speakers and writers

Daré is set to talk about her latest book And So I Roar at Grays Library on 3 June.

Chakrabarti will be speaking to Pam Cox, Labour MP for Colchester, about her book Human Rights: The Case for The Defence at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford on 5 June.

Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, will be visiting the University of Essex in Colchester the following day to talk about her new memoir A Woman Like Me.

The events are due to be held in Harwich, Thurrock, Colchester, Chelmsford, Shenfield and Maldon from 28 May to 30 June.