A POPULAR festival known affectionately as the Books and Boots Festival kicks off in Richmond this weekend.

The Richmond Walking and Book Festival is a two week programme of guided walks and events with talks by authors, publishers, and local experts, giving a wide range of activities each day.

The festival, from Saturday, September 24 to Sunday, October 2, includes talks from Egyptologist Professor Joann Fletcher on Ancient Egypt and New Discoveries, from her series on the BBC earlier this year; historian Juliet Barker on Charlotte Bronte; former MP Chris Mullin will discuss Hinterland, a Memoir; and there will be a talk about local photographers in the 1800s, the Keartons.

Carol Watson, from Castle Hill Bookshop in Richmond, said the diverse programme always attracts locals and visitors alike, with many taking advantage of both the walking and literary side of the festival.

She said: “We find people like to get involved with both side of the festival which is wonderful.

“We have some new walks this year as well as some old favourites, including the Feldom Wander, which is on MOD land not normally open to the public.”

There are around 40 walks of various lengths and difficulty, and the festival is run mainly by volunteers from the Swaledale Outdoor Club and staff from Castle Hill Bookshop, with support from the town council, library, and local businesses.

Now in its 12th year, the festival attracts visitors from all over the world and last year’s event generated an estimated £37,000 for the local economy, based on research from overnight stays.

Ms Watson said: “One event we are really looking forward to is a talk from publisher Little Toller, who will be speaking about a re-printing of classic books including Gavin Maxwell’s Ring of Bright Water and WG Hoskins’ Making of the English Landscape.

“The publishers will discuss the process of electing which books would be updated and re-printed.”

The event is on Tuesday, September 27 at Richmond Cricket Club at 7.30pm.

For general information and ticket sales visit www.booksandboots.org or phone Castle Hill Bookshop on 01748-824243.