Exclusive for Mail on Sunday readers: Meet top British authors as you cruise the Danube 

Imagine mingling with some of your favourite authors while enjoying wonderful food and drink, and beautiful landscapes along the way! 

Now you can, with the UK’s most popular literary festival setting sail in what is sure to be an unmissable experience with the cream of British writing talent.

The Henley Literary Festival featuring talks, interviews and more from a host of top writers, will take place on board an Emerald Waterways Star-Ship during an eight-day journey along the mighty Danube.

River views: A stylish Emerald Waterways Star-Ship suite with balcony

YOUR SPECIAL GUESTS 

You will be joined by Jeremy Paxman

Award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster JEREMY PAXMAN, far right, was the BBC’s Newsnight anchor for 25 years and has hosted University Challenge since 1994. His books include his insightful memoir, A Life In Questions.

LOUIS DE BERNIERES’ best-known work is Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Novel in 1994. It was later adapted into a major Hollywood film starring Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz.

You will also be joined by Joanna Trollope

JOANNA TROLLOPE is the author of 17 highly acclaimed bestselling novels such as A Village Affair, The Choir and The Rector’s Wife. Trollope, right, has written a number of historical novels, many under the pseudonym Caroline Harvey.

DAME JENNI MURRAY presented Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour for more than 30 years and is the author of a number of popular books, including A History Of Britain In 21 Women.

The river is one of the greatest in Europe, flowing through ten countries and four capital cities – Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and Belgrade.

This unique itinerary in October starts in Passau, an ancient town on the edge of the Black Forest in Germany.

Your stylish Star-Ship will also stop at Linz, the towns of Melk and Durnstein in Austria’s beautiful Unesco-listed Wachau Valley, Bratislava and Vienna, before ending up at the stunning Hungarian capital, Budapest.

With an incredible line-up of best-selling authors set to attend, including Joanna Trollope, Louis de Bernieres, Jeremy Paxman and Dame Jenni Murray (with more to be confirmed in the coming weeks), this promises to be an epic voyage through central Europe that book-lovers will not want to miss.

For added peace of mind, Emerald Waterways offers a free Deposit Protection Plan and Flexible Booking Policy, which allows you to defer your travel plans and transfer to an alternative departure date or itinerary up to 60 days before departure.

REASONS TO BOOK

An incredible line-up: Meet some of your favourite personalities from the world of books hand-picked by Henley Literary Festival, now one of the UK’s most popular festivals of its kind. 

They’ll attend exclusive question-and-answer sessions on board – and more big-name speakers are to be announced.

Discover the Danube: You’ll sail through stunning scenery and visit two of Europe’s great capitals – Vienna, famous for art and culture, and Budapest, Hungary’s capital.

Your deluxe Star-Ship: The Emerald Waterways fleet offers spacious and stylishly designed staterooms and suites, an indoor heated pool with retractable roof, fitness centre, large open-air sun deck with putting green and an evening cinema.

Flexible booking policy: Emerald Waterways’ Deposit Protection Plan and Flexible Booking Policy allows guests to change travel dates or itinerary up to 60 days before departure at no cost.