Jeremy Corbyn will join the line-up of Liverpool Writing on the Wall festival, which has moved online for 2020.
The former Labour Party leader will make a keynote speech entitled A Call To The Arts, intended as a rallying cry to people everywhere - artists, creatives, local communities - celebrating and arguing for the value of arts and culture now and in the future.
His speech will take place at 6pm on Sunday, May 31, on Facebook.
Corbyn joins a list of famous names taking part in WoWFeEST2020: Lockdown, which starts today.
They include Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh; criminologist Phil Scraton, best known for his work following the Hillsborough disaster, urban poet Levi Tafari; Daily Mirror columnist Brian Reade; and drag artist Glamrou.
WoWFEST runs until the end of the month, featuring more than 20 events with a range of famous poets, writers, authors, academics, criminologists, doctors and politicians from across the world.
Mike Morris, Writing on the Wall co-director, said: "After having to collapse our annual live festival as a result of the coronavirus, we have worked around the clock to ensure we will still be able to bring the array of incredible international, national and local guests which we have lined up this year, to our thousands of fans.
"We were determined we would not allow the festival to collapse in our 20th year."
All sessions will be interactive, with audience members being encouraged to ask questions and interact with the speakers following their performances/presentations.
The event is free and will be live streamed via Facebook. However, donations are being collected to be divided between South Liverpool Domestic Abuse Service, Fans Supporting Food Banks and Writing on the Wall.
Further details on all events are available from www.wowfest.uk
