This year’s Festival will be the biggest yet as it stretches to 10 days for the first time in our 19-year history, with a starry double bill on night one followed by exciting names from fiction, food, football and more.
Dame Joanna Lumley will open proceedings on Friday October 3 sharing some of her favourite writing, followed by How to Fail podcaster and Magpie bestseller Elizabeth Day discussing her highly anticipated neew book One of Us.
Speakers we’re delighted to be joined by for this autumn’s Festival, supported by Fane Group, include world-renowned chef Raymond Blanc, Nottingham Forest European Cup winning footballer turned Celtic manager Martin O’Neill, poets Hollie McNish and Salena Godden, QI star Alan Davies and Booker-winner Sir Ben Okri. Henley favourite Gyles Brandreth will reveal the stories behind Winnie-the-Pooh, while Lucy Easthope – the UK’s leading disaster recovery expert and a Desert Island Discs castaway this month – will share how to cope in a crisis.
Children’s authors coming include Sir Michael Morpurgo reimagining Shakespeare, JoJo & Gran Gran creator Laura Henry-Allain with a story session for young ones and an interactive event with Pointless host Alexander Armstrong around his No.1 bestseller Evenfall.
They will join previously announced authors including Jung Chang, Jay Rayner, Cressida Cowell, the Archbishop of York and Mary Beard, with many more to be announced before tickets go on sale next month.
Tickets will go on sale to Gold and Platinum Friends on July 4, Friends on July 8 and general sale on July 14.