2026 Events

Shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize and winner of the 2025 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, Andrew Miller's novel The Land In Winter, set in a remote English community during the big freeze of 1963, explores the secrets and longings between two neighbouring couples as their lives begin to unravel, as set against a backdrop of the aftermath and traumas of the second world war. He talks to Daniel Hahn.

The prequel to Chocolat, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, author Joanne Harris talks to Daniel Hahn about her character Vianne Rocher six years before she opens her scandalous chocolaterie in the small French village of Lansquenet, a town full of secrets, where she discovers that cooking possesses a dangerous magic...

Join the comedian and novelist for a riotous trip down memory lane, through from drama school, punk poetry, anorexia, bedsit misery, waitressing and not really having a clue about anything, to being the first woman to win the Perrier Award, becoming a mother, author, ‘grumpy old woman’, podcaster and nana. With Siân Pattenden.

Click here to see the list of children's and family events happening across the week of the festival. Fun for all ages. Including Rob Biddulph back for another fun drawalong; a return to Wonderland with the lovely Anna James; adventure with bestselling M.G. Leonard; young fun with Sue Hendra, creator of Supertato, as seen on CBeebies; comic mayhem with Jamie Smart. Plus much more!

Come along to hear Pete Brown talk Tasting Notes and blow your mind with how music changes the flavour of beer (or rather, your perception of it). Pete will be chatting to Henry Jeffreys at Shepherd Neame Old Brewery Store... expect neuroscience, storytelling, music fandom, a lot of jokes and (obviously) beer-tasting notes. 

An evening with Whitstable-based folk troubadour Beans on Toast, who has been charming audiences with his candid songwriting and engaging live performances for nearly two decades. His latest book Wild Folk People offers a hilarious and heartfelt look at life on the road, filled with his unique blend of humour, politics, storytelling and musical mischief. His live shows are unpredictable and full of heart... don't miss it!

A live musical storytelling show with acclaimed author Joanne Harris and the band she has been a member of since her college days. Quirky and darkly magical, the show appeals to all ages and especially to lovers of folklore, fantasy and fairytale, combining original music, songs, images and stories as part of an exploration of different forms of narrative. This event lasts 90 minutes.

One of the sub-postmasters wrongfully prosecuted by the Post Office for alleged financial shortfalls, Jo Hamilton's story was immortalised in the hit ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. She talks to Marg Mayne about the untold struggle she faced during this shameful, extraordinary miscarriage of justice, and how the strength of her community helped her to fight back and build hope.

This event is sponsored by Tassells Solicitors

Enter the world of dark fantasy for an enthralling battle between the forces of good and evil with Juno Dawson, who talks to Sarah Shaffi about her latest novel Human Rites, the hotly anticipated final instalment to the No 1 bestselling fantasy series Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, while also delving into her work for young adults and the themes of her writing, from LGBTQ+ to mental health, prejudice, addiction and feminism.

Love, secrets, mistrust... Esther Freud's My Sister and Other Lovers, the follow-up to the hugely successful Hideous Kinky, is a razor-sharp exploration of how family shapes desire, identity and freedom, whilst Claire Adam's Love Forms, longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, follows a mother’s search for the daughter she left behind in Venezuela. Chaired by Maggie Gee. 

Well known as a former actor, TV writer and stand-up comedian, one of the UK's most acclaimed crime writers Mark Billingham talks to Steven Gale about the latest in his bestselling Tom Thorne series, which has twice won him the Crime Novel of the Year Award. 

Winner of the Booker Prize, Ben Okri talks about his new novel, Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken-Hearted. He talks to Steven Gale about his inspiration for the book – A Midsummer Night’s Dream and TS Eliot’s 'The Wasteland – its unique, hypnotic blend of realism and magical realism, myth and poetry, bewitching fables, human connections, and the transformative power of festivals.

Filmmaker David Lynch... the life, legacy and quiff! Enter the seductive, ambiguous realm of the uncanny with John Higgs discussing his book Lynchian: The Spell of David Lynch. Why does his work affect people so deeply? Why do some find it haunting and unforgettable while others dismiss it as meaningless? John Higgs will be in conversation with writer and Lynch obsessive Nicholas Royle.

In The Feminist Art of Walking, activist and academic Morag Rose shows how women can and do claim their place in the public space. Exploring cities and towns across Britain, she traces local histories and personal stories, and discusses with writer Sonia Overall the wider resonances of women’s rights in which walking is both an art form and act of resistance. 

Sunday Times bestselling author, chatterbox and poetry lover Hollie McNish returns with her much-loved, no-holds-barred poetry. Expect strong language, adult themes, and poems about love, loss, wolves, and warm morning croissants as she reads from her latest collection, Virgin.

She’ll be joined by poet and performer Michael Pedersen, reading from his magical new novel Muckle Flugga.

Meet some of the local authors taking part in this year's Faversham Literary Festival at our line-up of free events that invite you to participate... or just come along and listen.

Including Great Reads, led by Whitstable author Peggy Riley; a showcase of writers from Canterbury Christ Church University; the festival's Local Author Showcase; and Morning Tea for Local Writers. Click through for more details and to reserve a place.

Poetry readings 3pm to 6.45pm, introduced by Rosie Johnston.

Open Mic 7–8.30pm, introduced by Angela Dye.

In 2011, a young wolf named Slavc embarked on an extraordinary thousand-mile journey from Slovenia through the Alps. In Lone Wolf, Adam Weymouth retraces Slavc’s steps, offering a powerful exploration of Europe’s wild hinterlands in a time of rapid transformation, from the urgency of rewilding to the tension between nationalism and globalisation, from climate change to the human migration crisis. With Carol Donaldson.

Seer... sage... sorceress... Faversham author Nydia Hetherington talks to Maggie Harris about her new novel, a reimagining of the life lived by the powerful witch Sycorax before her banishment to the island in William Shakespeare's The Tempest. Outcast by society and all alone in the world, Sycorax must find a way to understand her true nature, but as her powers begin to grow, so too do the suspicions of the local townspeople.

Kent designer and landscape architect Marian Boswall discusses her book The Kindest Garden, in which she offers practical and spiritual advice on how to breathe life into your garden’s natural ecosystem. Marian will be in conversation with Jane Beedle, Faversham garden designer and former finalist on BBC's The Great British Bake Off.

The curator and historian at Chartwell, a stately manor in the Kent Downs and the former family home of Sir Winston Churchill, Katherine Carter talks to Steven Gale about her book Churchill's Citadel, bringing to life the pivotal years he spent at the house before the Second World War, and revealing how intimate gatherings at his country retreat shaped the man who would lead Britain through its darkest hour.

The ‘rock star’ of classical mythology, author, broadcaster and comedian Natalie Haynes talks to Daniel Hahn about her new novel, No Friend to This House, a feminist reimagining of the myth of Medea. The Argonauts and their search for the Golden Fleece has been one of the most enduring myths in history, told and retold for well over 2,500 years. But where did the fleece come from, how did you find it, who guarded it, and how could you steal it?

This event is sponsored by Yellowback Editing & Publishing

Host of the Great Women Artists podcast and author of The Story of Art Without Men, Katy Hessel talks to Sarah Shaffi about the experiences and wisdom she has gleaned from some of our greatest artists, gathered from interviews, personal conversations, books and talks, including Marina Abramović, Nan Goldin, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, and more. The result, How To Live an Artful Life, is an essential companion offering thoughts, reflections, creative insights, inspiration and exercises for every day of the year.

Journalist and award-winning filmmaker Andy Webb obtained the secret files that first broke the story of Princess Diana's betrayal by journalist Martin Bashir. He talks to Gavin Esler about the true extent of the deception the Princess experienced before giving her iconic 1995 Panorama TV interview, and how key players at the BBC then devised an elaborate cover-up to hide what happened, whilst leaving Diana to her fate.

Two comedy legends, 36 kings and 5 queens. Join Charlie Higson and Jim Moir as they partner up on stage to share a few laughs from their new book Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee. Written by Charlie with eccentric illustrations from Jim, the book unashamedly reveals the rip-roaring story of every English ruler since Harold was shot in the eye at the Battle of Hastings. Expect fables of the English monarchy from the benevolent to the brilliant and the brutal...

The queen of historical fiction, Alison Weir's new novel tells the story of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey – the man, his incredible rise to power and his tragic fall. She talks to historian Amy Licence, delving beyond the splendour and political machinations of the Tudor court to reveal the secrets of Wolsey's private life, the mistress he loved devotedly, and the tragedy that overtook them.

A feast of spirited, culinary conversation with food writer Tom Parker Bowles sharing recipes and stories from his latest cookbook, including family favourites such as My Mum’s Roast Chicken. Tom will be in conversation with Faversham-based wine and beer enthusiast Henry Jeffreys, his podcast partner on Intoxicating Histories.

Sir Trevor McDonald, one of Britain's most celebrated broadcasters, discusses his memoir in conversation with Alex Preston, recalling his childhood in the Caribbean, his rich and varied journalistic career, and his life-long love of cricket, a game he thinks about as a common language between England, the West Indies and beyond – an engine of national identity and essential feature of daily life and community.

Renowned royal biographer Andrew Lownie tells tales from his highly topical latest book, Entitled, which spills the life and times of the late Queen’s second son Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson – rigorously researched and packed full of revelations. With Steven Gale.

Charismatic wine expert Tom Gilbey – infamous for running the London Marathon while blind-tasting a different wine every mile en route – shares hilarious wine and food stories, offers tips on how to tell your Barolo from your Beaujolais, decode labels, pick the perfect bottle and generally level up your vino expertise and enjoyment. He'll be talking to Faversham wine connoisseur and author Henry Jeffreys. Tickets include a glass of red or white wine (175ml) on arrival.

More than 40 years since Graham Fellows first introduced John Shuttleworth across the airwaves, his singer-songwriter alter ego remains one of our best-loved comedy characters. From three decades on Radio 4 to BBC2 rockumentary 500 Bus Stops, Graham – who first found fame in the 1970s punk era as Jilted John – comes to Faversham to share stories and songs from his book, and may even discuss the time he rented out his spare room to actor Mark Rylance! In conversation with Siân Pattenden.

Best-selling poet Donna Ashworth offers words of wisdom and comfort, reminders of how we are stronger when we come together and unstoppable when we accept ourselves. She reads from her work and will be in conversation with Julia Wheeler about her writings that celebrate personal strength and joy. Donna’s daily poetry has nearly 2 million followers on social media. 

Nicknamed the ‘Sherlock Holmes of Nature’, natural navigator Tristan Gooley talks to Carol Donaldson about his new book The Hidden Seasons, in which he shows us how to read clues we continually miss and inspires us to explore nature’s signs – the sun, moon, stars, plants, fungi, animals, water and weather and how they all reflect seasonal changes back to us. The seasons will never look, sound or smell the same again...

Join bestselling nature writer Robert Macfarlane for a deeply personal, political and provocative journey that will invite us to radically reimagine both rivers and life itself. Inspired by the activists, artists and lawmakers of the young ‘Rights of Nature’ movement, he talks to Julia Wheeler about the past, present and futures of this ancient, urgent concept.

Helen Fry, one of our foremost intelligence historians, talks to Steven Gale about her new book The White Lady in which she reveals the story of two key British Secret Service networks behind German lines during the First and Second World Wars. Could Britain have won without the help of these courageous agents?

Bestselling husband-and-wife writing team, Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, talk about suspense, storytelling and over 25 years of writing together. Hear them in conversation with Steven Gale about their latest psychological thriller, What Happened That Night. After nearly 30 years in prison for fatally stabbing his university friend Leo Bauer, Tyler Green is finally free...

The UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage reads from his new and recent collections, including New Cemetery, in which he makes peace with the dead; Blossomise, which celebrates the transformations of spring; and Dwell, which illuminates and reimagines the ingenious, fragile dwellings of the living creatures around us. Expect readings interspersed with Simon's wonderful insight and stories. 

An inside look at the craft, challenges, and joy of making graphic novels. Ziggy Hanaor, acclaimed author and director of Cicada Books, is joined by illustrator Benjamin Phillips, winner of the 2024 V&A Illustration Award for Children, for a lively discussion on creative partnership, why the medium is thriving, and how flexible, trust-driven collaboration transforms intimate stories into powerful graphic narratives.

Join the UK's favourite film critic, Mark Kermode, on stage with journalist Gavin Esler. The conversation will span Mark's 30-year career as a critic and his many book publications, from his best and worst as a pundit to a deep dive into the world of movie soundtracks as featured in his latest book Surround Sound. Guaranteed to be an entertaining mix of the serious and  irreverent.

Award-winning author of Cahokia Jazz and Light Perpetual, Francis Spufford, talks to Claire Armitstead about his new novel set in London in 1939, a blend of speculative history and literary adventure with the city on the brink of catastrophic war.

Meet best-selling Canterbury-based military historian Antony Beevor as he talks to Steven Gale about the Russian Revolution, Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs, as explored in his most recent book Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917–21 and his forthcoming publication on Rasputin. Copies of both books will be available for purchase at this special launch event for his much-anticipated new title.

Psychotherapist Anouchka Grose discusses her new book, The Revolution Will Be Internalised, and ‘inner prepping’ – a funny, erudite and ultimately uplifting tour of the practices Anouchka tried out in order to revolutionise how we live in our world, including ego-dismantling retreats, animal communication, and tantra. She is in conversation with Anna Whitwham, whose book Soft Tissue Damage explores how she turned to boxing, and getting in the ring to fight, during a profoundly difficult period dealing with grief. 

One of the most celebrated voices in contemporary literature, Ali Smith's new novel, Glyph, tells a story hidden in her earlier novel Gliff – one title deriving from the Greek word for a mark, carving or symbol, the other from a Scottish word meaning a transient moment, a shock, a faint glimpse. Ali Smith will explore the weaving together of these two novels with Claire Armitstead, former Associate Editor of the Guardian.

In this fresh take on one of the greatest songwriting partnerships of all time, Ian Leslie reframes the pair’s relationship through the music they made, telling the story of John and Paul as never told before, and offering rich insights into the nature of creativity, rivalry, collaboration and human connection... and how their turbulent journey shaped the sound of a generation. Ian will be in conversation with Julia Wheeler.

Award-winning crime writers Abir Mukherjee, Anna Mazzola and Vaseem Khan talk about the twists and turns in their fiction, from the burning ghats of Calcutta and the glamorous world of Indian cinema to India in the 1950s via legal-aid lawyers and high-level cover-ups.

Tawseef Khan talks to Declan Wiffen about his debut novel Determination, a polyphonic exploration of the UK immigration system and the story of a 29-year-old woman who, tasked with running the precious family law firm, attempts to find a life for herself amidst the exhaustion and pressures of her job. The novel was longlisted for the 2025 Jhalak Prize.

The author of iconic memoir Wild Swans, which sold over 15 million copies and remains banned in China, Jung Chang talks to Julia Wheeler about her long-awaited sequel. An epic personal history and love letter to her mother, it explores how the political and cultural shifts of the last five decades have shaped each of their lives, offering a deeply moving account of what it is like to live in a communist dictatorship and the threats posed by modern China to the world order.

Trailblazing author Isabel Waidner discusses their new novel As If, an existential cat-and-mouse story of grief, loss, ambition and the absurdity of modern lives: two men meet in a flat in London, they are total strangers yet they look remarkably alike. Isabel is the author of five novels, including Sterling Karat Gold, which won the Goldsmiths Prize and was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Chaired by Anna Whitwham.

Rethinking the boundaries between art and mathematics with celebrated mathematician and leading scientist Marcus du Sautoy in conversation with World Poetry Slam Champion – and, yes, mathematician – Harry Baker, talking about how symmetry, prime numbers, fractals and hyperbolic geometry have inspired artists, architects, writers and musicians across the ages... and why a creative mindset is vital for discovering new mathematics.

Post-punk band Gang of Four's Jon King on how music took him from a south London slum and impoverished working-class background to international success in the legendary band, which performed its final tour in 2025. Jon talks to author and musician Miki Berenyi about his  kaleidoscopic journey, from being barred from Top of the Pops to being supported by bands like REM and playing with the likes of Talking Heads.

In her unique style, Jeanette Winterson cracks open the legendary tale of Shahrazad in One Thousand and One Nights to reveal timeless questions such as: Who should we trust? What makes us happy? Is love the most important thing in the world? In her guise as Aladdin, the orphan who changes his world, she asks us to reread what we think we know and look again at how fiction works in our lives, as a way to help find the courage to subvert and change our own narratives.

An era-defining drummer in the post-punk scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Budgie talks to musician and psychotherapist Anouchka Grose about his life in music and his relationship with the charismatic but volatile Siouxsie Sioux – from loss, grief, surviving abuse and recovery from addictions to playing with Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Creatures, The Slits, Big in Japan, and Spitfire Boys.

Why do youth spaces matter – not just for young people but for all of us? Emma Warren, one of the UK’s leading writers on youth culture and music, and the author of the recently published Up the Youth Club, talks with Stef Macbeth, author of Folk, about community, youth, and what happens when the places we call home disappear.

Festival favourite Alex Preston in conversation with Vaseem Khan about his new novel, A Stranger in Corfu – a tense, masterfully spun literary work of espionage, shadowy morality and unravelled secrets, based on the true history of the British Intelligence Service.

Stand-up comedian, broadcaster and award-winning author Rob Newman talks to Alex Preston about his latest yarn, Intelligence, set in Oxford in 1938, in which spies, codebreakers, assassins and saboteurs become embroiled in wartime espionage, tinged with Newman's trademark touch of philosophy. (Yes... it's Rob Newman from The Mary Whitehouse Experience!)

World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker performs from his new collection, Tender, bringing characteristic warmth, wit and wonder to new poems about parenthood, the first hundred days of new life and all the euphoria, panic and vulnerability that come with it. He’ll even slip in some non-baby bangers too. Expect more laughter and tears than ever.

For 200 years the Dungeness lifeboat in Kent has launched into storms and heavy seas, and like all lifeboat stations in the British Isles it is staffed entirely by volunteers. Dominic Gregory is one of them and this is his story, centred on the coast around Dungeness and exploring ideas around the sea, migration, the beauty and terror of the ocean, and more. He will be in conversation with Julia Wheeler.

Today's pertinent issues around culture and privilege, race, inequality and class – and how the legacies and struggles of the past have shaped Britain’s present – are discussed with broadcaster and columnist Kenan Malik, author of Not So Black and White, Yvonne Singh, author of Ink: From the Age of Empire to Black Power, and event chair Sarah Shaffi.

Queen of cut flowers Sarah Raven shares with Julia Wheeler everything you could possibly wish to know about planning, growing and arranging your own cutting garden, as explored in vivid detail in her new book A Year of Cut Flowers, which reveals the secrets she has evolved over decades at Perch Hill to keep an exciting variety of cut flower production nearly constant, from the start of the growing year to the end.

Poems and stand-up with the wit, pathos and silliness that has made Luke Wright one of the most popular live poets in England. His new collection Later Life Letter tells the story of his adoption – the life he leads, and the one he might have done. Expect raucous laughter, tear-stained cheeks, and a little smattering of drum 'n' bass.

Satire, sarcasm and savage wit from the Guardian’s brilliant diarist and columnist John Crace, in conversation with Gavin Esler about his new book, which moves from 14 years of Tory rule, a bucket-load of sleaze and scandals, myriad questionable policy decisions and the like to Keir Starmer and the Labour Party taking the reins. Selected from Crace’s much-loved Guardian column, The Bonfire of the Insanities lights up a new chapter of governmental absurdity.

With a Michelin star as well as being named the UK’s best restaurant multiple times, The Sportsman is also a truly beloved, unpretentious local, just up the road from Faversham. Stephen Harris shares with Henry Jeffreys stories from his new cookbook, including masterful ways to get the best flavour, seasonal local produce and nostalgic home cooking.

To close this year’s festival we are delighted to welcome the masterful Ian McEwan to talk about his new novel, What We Can Know. A quest, a literary thriller and a love story, the novel moves between the present day and a climate-ravaged future – a masterpiece that reclaims the present from our sense of looming catastrophe, and imagines a future world where all is not quite lost. In conversation with author Alex Preston.