Charlie Cooper among stars at history festivals

Actor Charlie Cooper has been announced as the ambassador of this year's Cirencester History Festival

Two history festivals will return to Gloucestershire this autumn, with a wide range of celebrities and historians billed to appear.

Cirencester History Festival has announced its first wave of headliners, who will appear at 17 venues across the town for talks, crafting, historical cookery, film screenings, exhibitions and interactive workshops.

This Country star Charlie Cooper, retail campaigner Mary Portas, and comedian Ben Miller are among those appearing at the festival, which runs from 24 October to 2 November.

Gloucester History Festival will run between 6 and 21 September, with the likes of comedian Frank Skinner, actress Celia Imrie and historian David Olusoga sharing their knowledge.

Cirencester Festival announced Cooper, a keen metal detectorist, as the ambassador for this year's festival, which will focus on geopolitics and international history.

Cooper, who co-created BBC Three shows This Country and Myth Country, said: "History grounds us, it reminds us of where we come from and helps us feel connected to something bigger than ourselves.

"When you stand outside, holding a centuries-old coin or step into the old Cirencester Station, you're touching history – and something deeper.

"We're seeing a surge in people wanting that connection, to find comfort in what we know, and joy in discovering what we don't."

Other guests include international affairs expert Tim Marshall, broadcaster John Suchet, historical investigator Philippa Langley, and historian and columnist Simon Jenkins.

Topics at Gloucester History Festival will range from the Bayeux Tapestry to famous magicians

The two history festivals are operating in association with one another, with Gloucester History Festival organising the annual Winstone Talk, which will take place on 25 October at St John Baptist Church in Cirencester.

Among other names announced for the Gloucester event are Horrible Histories guru Greg Jenner, Digging For Britain's Professor Alice Roberts, journalist Lyse Doucet, slavery research professor Olivette Otele, and former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine.

Topics will range from from the Bayeux Tapestry, Magna Carta and the English Civil War to famous magicians, the legacy of Malcolm X and the lives of Margaret Thatcher and Harold Wilson.