Here are some of the big names of literature and the media appearing in the first week of the festival.

LYNN BARBER and GORDON BURN on celebrity, Pavilion Theatre, May 3, 3pm: Is our fascination with celebrity all-consuming? Interviewer Lynn Barber and novelist Gordon Burn discuss the nature of celebrity and how much further it can go. Tickets £7.

JOHN HUMPHRYS, Literary Lunch, The De Vere Grand, King's Road, May 4, 12.45pm: Always controversial, the presenter of BBC1's On The Record and Radio 4's Today programme reveals the difficulties in getting straight answers from politicians. Tickets £25 including two courses with wine. Sponsored by The De Vere Grand.

MICHEL ROUX on food, Pavilion Theatre, May 4, 1pm: Food is one of the great pleasures in life and Michel Roux has been one of its finest exponents for four decades. As well as running the Le Gavroche, he has cooked for the Queen and prepared a banquet in the Kremlin. Tickets £7.

AL ALVAREZ and ALFRED BRENDEL on friendship, Pavilion Theatre, May 5, 7.30pm: One of the world's finest writers and one of the world's finest classical pianists talk about their long-standing friendship and their love of poetry. Tickets £7.

JOHN TUSA, Pavilion Theatre, May 6, 7.30pm: The writer and broadcaster was responsible for relaunching the BBC World Service and is now the managing director of the Barbican Centre in London. He is also the author of numerous books on culture and the arts. He discusses the nature of creativity. Tickets £7. Sponsored by Open University in the South East.

CAROL BARNES and ROY GREENSLADE, Pavilion Theatre, May 7, 7.30pm: Carol Barnes, former newsreader with ITN and Roy Greenslade, media commentator with The Guardian, discuss how much trust people place in the news and talk about the pressures in news rooms. Local broadcaster JoAnne Good will join the discussion. Tickets £7. In association with BBC Southern Counties Radio.

KATHY LETTE and JOHN MORTIMER, Pavilion Theatre, May 9, 7.30pm: Rumpole creator John Mortimer and author of Puberty Blues and Mad Cows, talk about their unlikely friendship. Hosted by Simon Fanshawe. Tickets £7.