"I think in the back of all our minds there is that sense of loss, and while we're delighted to be here and we're delighted to receive the accolade of this town, I think it will always be tinged with a degree of sadness for those that aren't with us, and indeed those that are injured and can't parade, " he said.

BBC: RIR soldiers

Children's author Philip Pullman will receive the festival's honorary fellowship, an accolade given in previous years to William Boyd, Kazuo Ishiguro, and PD James.

BBC: Hilary Mantel and the Duchess of Cambridge