John Grisham will be a headline author at a UK crime writing festival where he will appear with writer Lee Child.

The author of The Firm, The Pelican Brief and A Time To Kill will be interviewed on stage at the Theakston Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate by Child, who is responsible for the Jack Reacher series.

Grisham will join previously announced special guest and Savages author Don Winslow.

He said: “I’ve never been to Harrogate or even to Yorkshire and I’m really looking forward to the festival.”

Child, who is the programming chairman of the festival, added: “As I live in New York, I’m bringing some very special American friends over and John Grisham and Don Winslow are two of the biggest authors out there. I’m really delighted they’ll be hanging out in Harrogate.

“Alongside the blockbuster heavyweights, festival-goers can expect a really diverse mix of authors and panel events. It’s fun to add my stamp as chair and bring some different names to Harrogate for the first time.”

The full 2018 programme will be announced in April.

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Europe’s largest event dedicated to celebrating crime fiction, takes place on July 19-22 at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate.