This year News UK’s involvement in the Cheltenham Literature Festival (October 3-12) has grown with The Sunday Times joining sister title The Times as co-sponsors. The popularity of the 500 event Festival has also grown this year with organisers hoping to break through the 150,000 overall ticket sales landmark during the 10-day festival.

The focus of this year's Festival is to inspire, challenge, surprise and entertain guests in equal measure, bringing world-class authors and speakers and the most fascinating debates to legions of loyal fans and readers.

Festival Chair, Gail Robuck, describes the focus of this year's event:

In an age of digital consumption, the opportunity for readers to meet well known authors, explore new ideas and discover new talent is ever more important to our cultural life as a nation.

The Times Editor John Witherow pointed out that festival ticket sales had increased by 138 per cent since the title first became headline sponsors in 2006. He added:

We are really proud to be associated with it.

His Sunday Times counterpart Martin Ivens said:

We are backing an event of some substance. From it, people get a greater awareness of what we do.

This is the ninth year for The Times and the first year for its sister paper, The Sunday Times. Writers from both titles have been taking part in a variety of events since the festival started on October 3rd. Highlights have included columnist Caitlin Moran talking about her new book How to Build a Girl, and foreign correspondent Anthony Loyd and photographer Jack Hill recalling their ordeal earlier this year in Syria. Robert Crampton will host another popular quiz night and The Times Debate will bring together luminaries of the education world.

Writers A. A. Gill, Camilla Long and Lynn Barber will be talking about the art of criticism. India Knight will debate the future of celebrity culture and host a discussion on the rise and rise of the marriage thriller, Rod Liddle shares his acerbic views on modern society, art critic Waldemar Januszczak debates the merits or otherwise of contemporary art and chief sports writer David Walsh quizzes Sol Campbell about racism in football and hosts a revealing interview with Kevin Pietersen.

The Times Literary Editor Andrew Holgate added:

The festival is huge. Together with The Times, we bring huge clout by making it the pre-eminent festival in the country.

Highlights from the Festival are appearing in both papers with additional videos and reviews on our digital platforms. Members of The Times and The Sunday Times can join us in our Members Lounge to experience exclusive screenings, events and offers – bringing you closer to our writers and authors.

Speaking at the opening night festival party in the spectacular Spiegeltent at the stylish Regency town’s Montpellier Gardens, The Times/Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival boss Jane Furze gave the ultimate accolade when she said of the News UK titles:

We couldn’t do without them.