Recognised around the world as one of the UK’s leading arts festivals, Buxton International Festival is a summer celebration of the very best opera, music and literature as internationally renowned stars and heavyweights descend on England’s highest market town in the heart of the beautiful Peak District.

This year, the Buxton International Book Festival line-up is as exciting as ever and I’m genuinely proud of the internationalism in this year’s programme.

Due to the success of last year’s festival - including sell out events for BBC correspondent Jeremy Bowen; former Labour Spin Doctor Alastair Campbell; Conservative peer Lord Finkelstein; and rewilding champion Isabella Tree – I’ve been able to bring contributors from overseas especially to join us for one off events at Buxton.

This has long been the case across opera and music at this world-renowned summer extravaganza, but I’m glad to claim the ‘I in international’ for the author-led part of the programme.

It’s safe to say we’ve got a phenomenal array of guests joining us here in England’s highest market town this summer.

Flying in from Switzerland will be internationally best-selling crime writer DONNA LEON. Originally from the United States, Donna’s much-loved detective Commissario Guido Brunetti works his sleuthing beat in Venice.

Donna will talk about her new novel, A Refiner’s Fire, plus a memoir Wandering Through a Life which, fittingly for a festival that encompasses opera, music and books, includes Donna’s own adoration of Handel’s vocal music.

DAME JANE GLOVER, meanwhile, is an internationally recognised conductor and musicologist and she will join us to discuss her new book Mozart in Italy: Coming of Age in the Land of Opera.

From Geneva, BIF welcomes global gem and jewellery expert HELEN MOLESWORTH, whose new book is called Precious: The History and Mystery of Gems Across Time.

Helen was a jewellery specialist for Sotheby’s and Christie’s where she handled the sale of the private collection of HRH The Princess Margaret amongst others.

SIR ANTONIO PAPPANO is an English-Italian conductor and pianist, who leaves his post as music director of the Royal Opera House this year to take up the position of Chief Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Sir Antonio’s memoir My Life in Music discusses his belief in the restorative qualities of classical music.Visitors to Buxton can fully immerse themselves in all things Italian with Verdi’s opera Ernani starring an international cast.

CLIVE MYRIE is the charismatic BBC news presenter and host of the quiz show Mastermind. As a Bolton teenager with a paper round, he read all the newspapers he delivered and dreamed of becoming a journalist.

As the anchor for the BBC’s coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Clive is a trusted voice on British television and I am so excited to be welcoming him to Buxton; his own musical knowledge is exceptional.

I love to see our authors meet other authors and musical performers. Imagine how exciting it is for our young artists to know Clive, Sir Antonio or Dame Jane may be sitting amongst the audience.

A substantial jazz festival sits within the BIF Quartet of opera, classical music and books and it’s important to acknowledge this part of the Buxton programme.

Clive Myrie, for example, has presented a documentary series The Definitive History of Jazz in Britain. He’s just returned from Cuba where he has indulged his love of classic cars and the music of the Caribbean.

Visitors to BIF can experience the same jazz vibe with New Orleans Social Club, afros-jazz band Ubunye, and many more talented artists.

FRANK GARDNER OBE is an instantly recognisable voice at the BBC. In 2004, while reporting from Saudi Arabia, Frank was shot six times by al-Qaida gunmen, leaving him partially paralysed.

Frank will be in conversation with DAVID REYNOLDS, author of Mirrors of Greatness: Churchill and the Leaders Who Shaped him and David will be appearing in his own right too to talk about his book.

David is a hugely well-respected historian of international relations and a frequent interviewer at BIF.

He is fascinated by Frank’s move into thriller writing and will lead Frank through the story of his extraordinary career to his new novel Invasion, which is premised on an aggressive China massing troops on its coast close to Taiwan. What could be more prescient or frightening.

For some, MARTIN SIXSMITH will be remembered for being played by Steve Coogan in the Oscar and BAFTA nominated Philomena, featuring Dame Judy Dench. For others, he was a BBC journalist and presenter.

Martin will discuss his latest book My Sins Go with Me: A Story of Heroism and Betrayal in the Dutch Resistance.

Like The Lost Child of Philomena, this is the story of a journalistic meeting, leading Martin to uncover a lost, poignant story of the darkest days in the Nazi occupation of war time Holland.

A career both serious and slightly frivolous is a tricky balancing act but Judge Rinder has pulled it off.

ROB RINDER won a BAFTA for his BBC series The Holocaust, My Family and Me, has been a barrister for high profile cases such as the defence of British servicemen on charges of manslaughter after the deaths of detainees in Iraq and, as a broadcaster, uses his legal knowledge to make the law more accessible.

Rob will discuss the varied journeys of his career, including his new legal thriller The Suspect.

SIR GEOFFREY ROBERTSON KC is a wholly serious contributor. With a distinguished career as a trial and appellate counsel in Britain and in international courts, he has served as a UN appeal judge and was the first president of the war crimes court in Sierra Leone.

Sir Geoffrey will be in Derbyshire to discuss The Trial of Vladimir Putin in which he argues Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in effect destroys the purpose of the United Nations and that an amnesty for Putin would never be valid under international law.

CAROLINE LUCAS MP is standing down from Parliament at the next election. As the UK’s first and only Green MP, she has been a strong advocate for woman and the environment in British politics since 2010.

Yet her latest book Another England: How to Reclaim our National Story is surprising - a look at historical English radicalism, our national belief in inclusivity and our sense of fair play.

Caroline will paint a positive portrait of the things that bind us - such as love of the natural world - rather than things that drive us apart.

This year’s BIF programme also includes ANDY BURNHAM and STEVE ROTHERAM, metropolitan mayors for Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region respectively.

Head North: A Rallying Cry for a More Equal Britain is their book of ideas on how to reimagine the country beyond the Westminster bubble.

Can northern voices and culture alongside devolution lead to a fairer Britain? Andy and Steve will argue, yes it can.

JONATHAN DIMBLEBY recently wowed radio listeners with an extraordinary and personal look at assisted dying in collaboration with his own late brother, sculptor Nicholas Dimbleby.

Jonathan’s passion project is Russian history and his new book Endgame 1944: How the Soviet Army Won World War Two draws on new sources from the Red Army archives.

Jonathan is a much-loved contributor to BIF, who wears his astonishing erudition very lightly. It will be a privilege to have him back on the Opera House stage.

I look forward to all our programmed speakers coming to Buxton, but I always hope for the unexpectedly candid, darkly funny or the speaker who is frankly mesmerising on stage. BETTANY HUGHES might be that person!

Bettany will be talking about The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, impossible feats of architecture, which is why the great pyramid is the only wonder left standing. How amazing that some of our deep ancestors set out to build the impossible dream.

HELEN REBANKS is famous, as her book’s title suggests, as The Farmers Wife. Yes, she is married to that Rebanks, James Rebanks, author of The Shepherd’s Life.

Helen is now the other Sunday Times bestselling writer in her household and with an equally glittering array of reviews to her name.

A spiky but gentle read, Helen will talk about life as a wife, mother and stockwoman and bust some myths about an aga-side rural life.

As always, I hope there is something in the programme for everybody.

It’s an honour to select the finest speakers to appear at Buxton International Festival, to host them in our beautiful town amongst stunning architecture; and book-ended by the finest opera, classical music and jazz performance.

Who’d want to be anywhere else this July?’

Buxton International Festival runs from July 4-21 and Derbyshire Life is once again proud to be a media partner. For more details on this year's extravaganza, visit buxtonfestival.co.uk.