The University has announced a star-studded line-up for its forthcoming Festival of Ideas - the only free arts, humanities and social sciences festival in the UK.

Set to run in Cambridge from the 19th to 30th of October and open to the general public, this year’s festival will be headlined by Academy Award winning filmmaker Michael Moore and God-bashing biologist Richard Dawkins.

Moore will give a talk - already fully booked - entitled Here Comes Trouble, echoing the title of his new book: a set of autobiographical short stories just released in the US.

Professor Dawkins’ event – the centrepiece of the festival’s busiest day – will also present ideas from his latest book, The Magic of Reality, a family guide to the science underpinning everyday life.

The addition of Moore and Dawkins to the schedule complements the litany of intellectual and cultural heavyweights already set to feature, including comedy writer and TV presenter Holly Walsh, BBC Horizon mega-brain Professor Marcus du Sautoy and children’s authors Marcus Sedgwick and Charlie Higson.

Describing the programme, festival organiser Sophie Smith said: “The festival has something for everyone. There is also an opportunity for festival-goers to discuss the big questions facing us all today on topics such as reproductive freedom, Mau Mau torture claims and whether prison works.”

Over 160 events will take place, each falling under this year’s broad ‘triple-theme’ of freedom, revolution and communication, intended to spark debate over recent Wikileaks revelations, the Arab Spring and the imminent global population landmark of seven billion.

Colleges, libraries and faculties will be given over to hosting the events, with around 10,000 people expected to attend.