The Guardian’s Polly Toynbee and co-author David Walker dig into 14 years of Conservative rule to ask how the incompetence and austerity measures inflicted on the British public might be put right by the new Labour government in the years ahead. With host Steven Gale.

Iain Sinclair’s latest book follows the life of street photographer John Deakin, whose chronicles of bygone Soho life, portraits of bohemian Soho characters and artists are now hailed as pioneering masterpieces. He talks to author and broadcaster Horatio Clare about why Deakin's photographs are timeless, why the Soho he knew is gradually disappearing, and why Deakin remains such a compelling figure.

Putting a country’s leader on trial once seemed unimaginable, but is that still the case in today's world? Journalist and human rights campaigner Steve Crawshaw talks to Daniel Hahn about his new book – a blend of eyewitness reporting and history, including recent stories from the front lines of justice in Ukraine and Palestine.

Andy Capon, chief writer and editor of The Spire, is back on stage for a rematch with host Simon Tyler. Expect political satire, anecdotes, interjections and lots of drinking as they explore a cast of characters from Andy’s ‘semi-imaginary’ home town of Faversham.

Anxiety, depression, burnout, insomnia, eating disorders, psychosis – or any one of many conditions of the mind that can be hell to endure, or support someone through – award-winning writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare offers a map through the mental health system and how it can provide the help we need, when we most need it.

Hot on the heels of her best-seller Unlawful Killings, former Old Bailey murder judge Wendy Joseph KC skilfully reconstructs four courtroom dramas, drawing on her many years’ experience to ask if our justice system works. With host Marg Mayne.

This event is sponsored by Tassells Solicitors

The New European's Nonfiction Book of the Year – a love song to grifters, drifters, cities and lost youth, literary hauntings and the power of belonging. Jeff Young talks to travel writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare.

Dame Harriet Walter, renowned for her roles in Succession and Killing Eve, The Crown and Downton Abbey, is one of Britain’s most esteemed Shakespearean actors. Having played most of the Bard’s female characters she now, in her book She Speaks!, boldly lets them speak their minds... with new parts for 30 Shakespearean women written in verse and prose... a 'between the lines' that playfully and searchingly lets us hear what she imagines these women were really thinking.

Bestselling author and palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke, the writer behind the medical TV drama series Breathtaking, shares insight into the history of medical innovations behind transplant surgery alongside the story of two children, one of whom desperately needs a new heart. With Marg Mayne.

In a feat of magnificent storytelling, award-winning historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes reveals secrets from the ancient world told through its seven greatest monuments, including pyramids, hanging gardens and temples. 

The much-loved Gavin and Stacey star talks to Julia Wheeler about her post-war working-class roots, varied acting career – from Abigail’s Party to Pride and Prejudice – and her former marriage to Mike Leigh. Expect it to be very funny, very feminist and very entertaining!

With the UK more divided than ever, the idea of Englishness has re-emerged as a potent force in our culture and politics. In this timely book Caroline Lucas, former leader of the Green Party, delves into our literary heritage to explore what it can teach us about the most pressing issues of our time. With host Claire Armitstead, former associate editor of the Guardian, Culture.

Dancer and entertainer Wayne Sleep talks to Marg Mayne about his life both on and off stage. In his memoir Just Different he looks back on the extraordinary times he has lived through, from dancing with ballet legends Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn to the prejudices he faced as a working-class, gay man and living through the Aids epidemic. Expect laughter, tears, and plenty of gossip.

Buzzcocks bass player and lead guitarist Steve Diggle has been the driving force keeping the band alive since he first met Pete Shelley in 1976. He talks to music journalist Siân Pattenden about his new book Autonomy, Diggle’s definitive inside account of their shared musical legacy and complex friendship through the band’s rise, fall, and rise again.

Leeroy Thornhill, ex-member of The Prodigy, talks to author and music journalist Miranda Sawyer about the story of the first decade of the band, from the earliest raves to Japan and the United States in the late 1990s, by which point the band were one of the biggest on the planet.

A vital reminder of the importance of direct action in turbulent times, Led By Donkeys will discuss their artistic acts of resistance against years of inept, corrupt Conservative rule in Britain. They will be in conversation with journalist, author and artist Siân Pattenden.

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Paralympic champion and Strictly Come Dancing star Jonnie Peacock shares experience and offers inspiration on chasing your dreams and being unstoppable, building confidence, overcoming setbacks and knowing you can achieve anything, no matter what you think your abilities might be. With host Caroline Carpenter.

Family event. Suitable for age 8+

Known for her creativity and individuality Dame Zandra Rhodes is one of the most significant figures in British fashion. She talks to Julia Wheeler about her archive of iconic garments, her life spent among rockstars and royalty, life-changing friendships and the highs and lows that come with being an era-defining designer.

Join author and broadcaster Miranda Sawyer as she runs through her fantastic assemblage of key music artists of the 1990s – Oasis, Blur, The Prodigy, Suede, Chemical Brothers, Radiohead, PJ Harvey and more. She talks to music journalist Siân Pattenden about a time when British music meant everything, and the mad exhilaration of being right in the thick of it.

A gentle ode to nature, history and the simple art of looking and finding treasure in every season. With warmth and wisdom, the London Mudlark will be talking to Julia Wheeler about discovering hidden objects in the most overlooked part of the city, the secrets they reveal and the stories that are patiently waiting to be told.

After No.1 bestsellers All Out War, Fall Out and No Way Out, the Sunday Times chief political commentator Tim Shipman talks to author, journalist and former Newsnight presenter Gavin Esler about Out!, the rollicking, unrestrained latest instalment in Tim's essential account of modern British political history, covering the Johnson years, through the tussles over the final Brexit deal to our shortest serving PM ever.

Terrifying, fascinating and hilarious... don't miss an hour with Danny Robins sharing experiences from his book Into The Uncanny, a real-life adventure into the paranormal! Hear how and why he investigated four chilling cases that he hasn't explored on the TV series or the podcast – a poltergeist case in Rome, a haunted house in the English countryside, a compelling tale of possible contact with the dead and a truly unsettling UFO story. With host Siân Pattenden.

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