Mersey poet, 60s pop star and long-standing presenter of the BBC’s ’Poetry Please’ Roger McGough is the star of this year’s Charles Causley Festival.

He was a friend and student of Causley’s back in the day and is returning to Launceston on May 31 to launch the festival, which runs to June 3. ?‘Causley was like a big brother to me and I always felt he was one of the great poets,’ he said.

McGough will be performing with Little Machine, a band which has made a reputation setting well-known poetry to upbeat musical arrangements.

South-west nature writer, Miriam Darlington, whose recently published ’Owl Sense’ is already acclaimed by critics and readers alike (and was the subject of a recent Radio 4 Book of the Week), is also on the bill, as are the comedy foursome Sweet’n’Sour who headline on Saturday night.?The festival is now in its ninth year - and the weekend promises a mix of music, poetry, comedy, exhibitions and talks with a food and drink market in the town square.

Artist and writer-led workshops in short-story writing, print-making and poetry offer lots of opportunity for participation.

Details of all events are at www.charlescausleyfestival.co.uk