As well as presenting a glittering line-up of the authors of this year's 'must-reads', the 2010 Oxford Literary Festival has scored a major scoop.

Festival-goers will be able to mix with news reporters to hear the announcement at 2pm on Thursday, March 25, of the six novels shortlisted for the 'lost Booker’ prize of 1970, a year when the award passed over nearly a whole year of fiction.

Sadly, more than half of the authors long-listed for the lost Booker are dead, but the festival offers plenty of chances to meet live authors, including a rare appearance by the veteran thriller writer John le Carré, who will give a lecture at the Sheldonian.

Another coup is Oxford author Philip Pullman.He will talk in public for the first time about his controversial book The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, a 'semi-fictional' account of the Jesus story. Mr Pullman also features in events for younger readers, discussing the art of storytelling and his trilogy His Dark Materials.

Journalist Andrew Rawnsley will talk about his book The End of the Party, which revealed allegations of bullying inside 10 Downing Street. Also in the news is Brooke Magnanti, a research scientist who supported herself by working as a call girl while completing her doctoral studies, and talks about her alter ego Belle de Jour.

Expect more controversy from novelist Martin Amis, who has been engaged in a public spat with former newsreader Anna Ford, widow of Amis's friend Mark Boxer.

Columnist Peter Hitchens will also be at the festival, spitting mad at our education system, egged on by the former schools inspector Chris Woodhead.

The Oxford Times is sponsoring two gentler events — talks by Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall, which may become the best-selling Booker prizewinner of all time, and by Joanne Harris, whose new dark thriller is a major departure from Chocolat.

For those who prefer controversy safely in the past, biographers Selina Hastings and Adam Sisman discuss the feud between two of their most formidable subjects: Hugh Trevor-Roper and Evelyn Waugh.

There will also be the chance for a sneak preview of books due out later in the year, including Sex and Stravinsky, the long-awaited novel by Oxford author Barbara Trapido.

Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, will offer insights into some of the prize articles featured in his Radio 4 series, A History of the World in 100 Objects. You can also hear Ian McEwan and Craig Raine discussing each other’s new novels; Antony Beevor exploring his history of the D-Day campaign; and the 1970s American singer-songwriter Patti Smith making a rare public appearance to discuss Just Kids, her memoir of life with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

For children, the well-loved names include Steve Cole, Anthony Horowitz, Geraldine McCaughrean and Philip Reeve, while on the eve of the animated film How to Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell introduces its hero, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

Robert Harris will talk about his thriller, The Ghost, ahead of a screening of the Roman Polanski-directed film, while there will also be previews of forthcoming series on BBC Four. Poet Owen Sheers will talk about Art of the Sea: In Words, while novelist Andrew Martin looks at three centuries of literary fatherhood in Disappearing Dad and Sebastian Faulks celebrates the brilliance of the British novel ahead of his four-part documentary.

n To book tickets, call the festival box office on 0870 343 1001. For more information about festival events visit the website www.oxfordliteraryfestival.com