TAKE a good look around you next week as you walk through the streets of Oxford and you are bound to see one or two famous faces.

From this Sunday to Sunday, April 5, Christ Church, and other venues are hosting authors in the Oxford Literary Festival – with this year’s litfest promising to be the best yet.

Over eight days, there are 430 speakers giving talks and signing books at venues including Christ Church, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Bodleian Library, and the town hall.

Pick up one of the festival’s chunky programmes – it’s an interesting read itself – and marvel at the roll call of top authors from around the globe who are taking part.

Ian McEwan, the author of Atonement, is back in the city where he lived for many years, and Oxford-based Philip Pullman is appearing at the festival once again, after last year’s spellbinding talk at the town hall.

The list of award-winning authors seems endless: AS Byatt, PD James, Simon Schama, Joan Bakewell, Robert Harris and Jeffrey Archer are just a few of the top writers booking their hotel accommodation.

And there really is something for everyone – there's a full programme of children’s events, for a start, and Horrid Henry author Francesca Simon is sure to attract a big crowd of young readers to the Town Hall on Sunday.

The festival has been around now for well over a decade, and has the support of heavyweight backers including The Sunday Times and The Guide's sister paper The Oxford Times.

With Christ Church providing the main festival venue, and Blackwell’s the official bookseller, there is also grant aid from Arts Council England, the city and county councils.

With such support, it is perhaps not surprising the festival has been going from strength to strength, particularly when Christ Church stepped in to provide a headquarters a few years back.

But there is no sense of smugness or complacency. unsmore and her team seem determined to reach for the sky when it comes to attracting guests who will not only give fascinating talks but also create headlines.

This year, Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu is sure to cause a stir when he discusses Englishness at the University Church on Saturday, April 4.

The outspoken bishop was due to appear at the Bodleian Library's Divinity School, but the demand for tickets was so great that a bigger venue had to be found, and about 600 people are expected to pack the church in High Street.

Richard Blair, George Orwell's adopted son, will also speak in public for the first time about his father, on Friday, April 3 at 4pm.

Which talks will you be attending, I asked Sally Dunsmore, festival chief executive, expecting her to have booked her seat at a number of top tables, but she is far too busy making sure everything is running smoothly to enjoy the festival herself.

"I hardly get to see anything which is one of the frustrations, but I am a bit too on edge to relax and enjoy it," she tells The Guide.

"I enjoy going to other literary festivals - Edinburgh, Cheltenham and Hay, because it's interesting to see how festivals are staged elsewhere.

"We are now one of the four major literary festivals in the country, and I have a very grand ambition - to be the number one literary festival in the world. I think that can be achieved within about five years."

Advanced ticket sales are ahead of last year, Ms Dunsmore adds, and the majority of ticket prices have been pegged at £7.50 to enure the festival remains affordable in the credit crunch.

"There aren't many places where you get to meet world-class authors for £7.50," Ms Dunsmore enthuses.

"And there should be something for everyone. There are venues which can accommodate 800, or venues that only seat 50, which provide real intimacy." One of the major attractions is a busy programme of children's events, featuring authors including Malorie Blackman, Michael Morpurgo, David Almond and Terry Deary.

As acclaimed Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa prepares to fly in to give the Chancellor's Lecture at the Sheldonian, the organisers of other festivals are no doubt leafing enviously through Oxford's mouthwatering programme and wondering what they will have to do to compete next time round.

For further information, contact the Box Office on 0870 343 1001 or tap onto www.sundaytimes-oxfordliteraryfestival.co.uk