Henley Literary Festival Programme 2025

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS YEAR...

To paraphrase A.A. Milne, now we are ten. Not in terms of years – our 20th anniversary is fast approaching – but in the number of days the Festival will run this October. We’ve grown from a long weekend back in 2007 to first a week, then nine days and now ten. An evolution only made possible by your support. We could never have imagined reaching over 35,000 ticketholders each autumn; not only here in Henley but online to schools and homes across the country and internationally.

We are also indebted to our brilliant speakers. This year’s line-up is wonderfully eclectic. Between them they have won BAFTAs, BRITs, the Booker, Olympic Gold, Michelin stars, the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, Rear of the Year, the European Cup and Strictly. From those whose words have delighted us for decades to emerging writers doing some of their first events, we are proud to bring an exciting variety of voices to the town we love.

And of course we couldn’t do the Festival without our fantastic partners, some who have been with us for many years and others for the very first time, including our new headline sponsor Fane Group, who share our passion for bringing writers and readers together.

So please join us for ten tremendous days of talks, performances, workshops and conversations – and that’s without mentioning our pop-up day with two household names in November –with our most exciting programme yet!

Harriet Reed, Festival Director and Sue Ryan, Festival Founder

BOOKING TICKETS

General booking opens at 10am on Monday 14th July, with Friend of the Festival booking open from 10am on Tuesday 8th July. E-Tickets will be emailed directly after purchase and can be printed at home or shown on your phone. BOOK TICKETS BY PHONE

FESTIVAL INFORMATION VENUES

The Fane Stage at the Marquee at Phyllis Court Club

Returning for 2025, our 500-seater marquee is set in the grounds of Phyllis Court Club. The marquee has river views which provide a beautiful backdrop to all the talks here. This year we are delighted to welcome some of our biggest names to The Fane Stage inside the marquee – our new headline and stage sponsor for 2025.

While waiting for the doors to open, make the most of The Henley Larder pop-up stand next to the marquee where they will be selling tea, coffee and sandwiches throughout the day, as well as wine and other drinks into the evening.

The Gower Cottage Brownies Stage at the Town Hall

The Grade II listed Town Hall is located in the heart of the town, with bustling coffee shops and restaurants on its doorstep. It is home to the Gower Cottage Brownies stage.

Once again the Gower Cottage horsebox brownie bar will be a welcome presence in the town square during the Festival! It will be stationed on the Market Place where they will be handing out programmes and selling their brownies, meeting the high demand from Festival-goers to get their hands on these delicious treats in between events.

The Relais Henley

New for 2025, we are delighted to see our hotel partner, The Relais Henley, join this year’s venue line-up. With its scenic riverside views and elegant décor, The Salon will play host to around 50 events across the whole Festival.

The hotel will be serving refreshments all day in The Henley Hideaway – an oasis of calm with its Moroccan vibes and delicious menu. Or why not round off a great day of events by sampling the seasonal menus on offer at Restaurant Dominic Chapman, or some cocktails at the Quarterdeck Bar.

THE HENLEY LITERARY FESTIVAL MARQUEE STAGE

FOR MINI BOOKWORMS...

This year Shiplake College returns as our Children’s Festival sponsor. You will see these events throughout the programme via coloured boxes like this one. The line up includes some of the best names in children’s literature and we can’t wait to share these events with young bookworms at the Festival.

All children’s events are 45 minutes long unless otherwise stated.

Livestreaming Events

Box Office

All events taking place on The Fane Stage in the marquee will be livestreamed, so for marquee events you can join us in-person in Henley, or online from the comfort of your own home. Keep an eye out for the camera logo next to events throughout the programme which indicates that you can watch it via live stream. All livestream tickets are £8 each. Scan for full details on how to join our events online.

• During Festival week you can book online at henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk or book in-person at the HLF Box Office, based on the 1st floor of the Town Hall (see pg 90).

• The Box Office will be open from 9am-7pm from Saturday 4th October – Sunday 12th October 2025.

• Prior to this please book online at henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk or via phone 01491 575 948 (10am-2pm Monday to Thursday).

TICKET INFORMATION

• All tickets are E-tickets and will be emailed directly after purchase. These can be printed at home or shown on your phone.

• There will be ticket scanning at each venue so please have your tickets ready for scanning on arrival.

• Infants under 2 do not require tickets for children’s events unless the event is intended for the 0-2yrs age group.

• Waiting lists will be available for all sold out events. If any tickets are released or exchanged, the waiting list will be notified by email and tickets can be purchased on a first-come-first served basis.

• All adult events are one hour long.

• There is no parking at the venues. See pg 90 for local car parks and further travel info.

• If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the team no later than 2 weeks prior to the event so that we can accommodate these.

Festival Interviewers

Each year we are lucky to be joined by a team of brilliant interviewers. We will be updating who is interviewing whom throughout the summer.

Please look at the individual events on the website to see who the interviewer is.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• A booking fee of £3 will be applied per order – whether made online, by phone or at the Box Office in the Town Hall during Festival week (see pg 90)

• Tickets are non-refundable unless the event in question has been cancelled. We reserve the right to cancel or alter events due to unforeseen circumstances. Tickets can be exchanged for other tickets of equal or greater value until 1st September 2025.

• During the Festival, any changes to the programme will be emailed to attendees, posted on the website and social media.

For full ticket terms and conditions,please visit www.henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk

RIVER READINGS

10am, 12pm, 3pm • Hibernia boarding at Hobbs Boatyard • £15 (all profits donated to InterAct Stroke Support)

Journey down the Thames in a Hobbs boat as a much-loved Henley Literary Festival staple returns in support of a fantastic cause. Our world-famous river has inspired writers for centuries, from Three Men in a Boat and Wind in the Willows to Charles Dickens, John Betjeman and even the latest novel by Elif Shafak. Enjoy a lovingly curated mix of prose and poetry read by guest actors. This year’s readings are in aid of InterAct Stroke Support, a unique live-reading service for stroke survivors.

Beautifully designed, consciously made ranges of homewares and gifts

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JOANNA LUMLEY

6pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court

£22 book & ticket

A national treasure returns to Henley – in conversation with another! Dame Joanna Lumley joins Gyles Brandreth with My Book of Treasures , her compendium of good cheer and wonderful writing. For years the actor and presenter has kept private notebooks, full of lines by favourite authors from Shakespeare to Emily Dickinson, pearls of wisdom and nuggets of trivia that make her happy. Now she shares them with you and reflects on a life well-lived in conversation with Festival favourite Gyles. Ticket price includes a copy of My Book of Treasures (RRP £20) which will be given to you at the event.

ELIZABETH DAY

8pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

Just a week after her eagerly awaited new book is published, Elizabeth Day joins us at the Festival! After memoir How to Fail , instant Sunday Times No.1 Friendaholic and bestselling novel Magpie , she returns with One of Us . This compulsive story sees a family – and the nation – unravel as they face the consequences of privilege and power, betrayal and buried secrets. After previous sell-outs, don’t miss an hour with the writer and host of the chart-topping How To Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast.

© RANKIN

CRESSIDA COWELL: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON SCHOOL

10am • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £10 • 5+

2025 is truly the year of How to Train Your Dragon ! The first live-action film, a major attraction at Universal’s new Florida theme park and – a decade after the last full-length novel – an exciting new spinoff to the series that has sold 16 million copies in 46 languages! Creator Cressida Cowell returns to the Festival with hilarious, hair-raising adventure Doom of the Darkwing , as we join Hiccup, Toothless and Windwalker at the Isle of Berk’s Training School for Vikings and Dragons.

DR JACK MOSLEY: FOOD NOISE

10am • Town Hall • £12.50

Having been researching GLP-1 weight loss drugs with his late father Michael, Dr Jack Mosley has built on his mission to help us to lead healthier, happier lives with No.1 bestseller Food Noise: How Weight Loss Medications & Smart Nutrition Can Silence Your Cravings , complete with recipes from his mother Dr Clare Bailey Mosley. The GP registrar joins us to explain the science behind potentially game-changing medication as well as what to eat to ensure you maintain essential nutrients and muscle mass.

EMMA VOWLES: THE STYLE CHAPTER

12pm • The Relais • £10 includes £10 Busby & Fox voucher

How do we create a wardrobe that evolves as our own story does? Busby & Fox founder Emma joins us for an inspiring, practical session on how to tell your unique narrative through style. Her independent women’s clothing brand began in Devon a decade ago and now has a growing number of stores, including here in Henley. Emma shares her expert advice on everything from mastering seasonal transitions to the art of layering – all using timeless, blendable pieces that reflect who you are and where you’re going next.

KALEB COOPER: FARMYARD TALES

12pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court £15 child inc. book/ £10 adult • 5+

Farms are of full of noise! But a CRUNCH and a CRASH? They are not good noises, especially when Bruce the boar is around… Grab your wellies and join one of Oxfordshire’s – and Britain’s – funniest farmers, Kaleb Cooper , as he comes to Henley with some very silly stories involving his dog, rooster and love-of-his-life tractor. The Clarkson’s Farm star follows his bestseller The World According to Kaleb with his first book for children Kaleb’s Farmyard Tales: Escaping Animals & Runaway Tractors .

Children’s ticket price includes a copy of Kaleb’s Farmyard Tales (RRP £14.99) which will be given to you at the event.

HELEN LEWIS: THE GENIUS MYTH

12pm • Town Hall • £12.50

You can tell what a society values by who it labels as genius. Journalist and Radio 4 regular Helen Lewis follows her Sunday Times bestseller Difficult Women with The Genius Myth: The Dangerous Allure of Rebels, Monsters and Rule-Breakers, a Guardian and FT Book of the Year. From the Renaissance Florence of Leonardo da Vinci to the Floridian rocket launches of Elon Musk, via Stephen Hawking and the Beatles, she joins us to unravel a word we all use without really questioning what it means.

THE MAKING OF SHAKESPEARE

2pm • The Relais • £10

CHRIS SMITH: THE NEW FAMOUS FIVE

2pm • Town Hall • £8 • 7+

Join the adventure! Inspired by Enid Blyton’s classic series, Five and the Forgotten Treasure sees Fran, Tom, Maddy and Gilbert the dog following up an old Famous Five case with the now grown-up Professor George Kirrin! After The Twits Next Door with his old Radio 1 colleague Greg James, Frankie Best Hates Quests bestseller Chris Smith returns with this thrilling adventure, full of action and danger!

Before The Globe, there was The Theatre. In 1576 James Burbage erected London’s first purpose-built playhouse in a muddy Shoreditch field, controversially allowing the city’s players control over what they staged. It was where Shakespeare learned to ply his trade and audiences first saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet . The Dream Factory author Daniel Swift brings to life the actors who strode its small stage, the preachers who hated it and the blossoming of history’s greatest playwright.

SANGEETA WALDRON & TONY JUNIPER

in partnership with Greener Henley

4pm • Town Hall • £10

What can we do about the climate crisis? In our first event in partnership with Greener Henley, the group’s chair and former M&S head of sustainability, Mike Barry, talks to Britain’s leading environmentalist Tony Juniper and CSR expert Sangeeta Waldron Tony, who wrote Harmony with King Charles, argues that global inequality is the problem and asks how we can lead good lives in Just Earth. In What Will Your Legacy Be? Serendipity founder Sangeeta shares her climate change conversations with global game changers, from NASA scientists to indigenous leaders.

MARY PORTAS

4pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

At the start of the 1990s Harvey Nichols was more associated with dowagers than daring designers. By the time Mary Portas finished as creative director it was the destination department store, with headlinegrabbing, traffic-stopping window displays, Lady Di as a customer and namechecks aplenty in Ab Fab , thanks to a deal she made with Jennifer Saunders. The high street legend and Work Like a Woman author comes to the Festival with her no-holdsbarred account of that time, I Shop, Therefore I Am

LAURA HENRY-ALLAIN: THE GREAT BIG TIDY UP

4pm · The Relais · £8 • 3+

Join Laura Henry-Allain, creator of CBeebies’ global hit JoJo and GranGran and My Words, My Book podcaster, for a super storytelling session, with fun activities and the chance to ask questions! Her latest picture book, gorgeously illustrated by Yabaewah Scott, sees Maya and Marley – and their pet goats! – tackle the litter overrunning their playground. Awarded an MBE for services to education, Laura is also the author of My Family, Your Family and My Skin, Your Skin

BEN YOUNGS

6pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

England’s most-capped men’s rugby player of all time heads to Henley. Ben Youngs shares his story for the first time in his unique, honest and touching memoir Beyond the Line . He played for Leicester Tigers for 19 seasons and won trophies with both England and the British & Irish Lions, but his dream career on the pitch masked what has often been a turbulent life off it. From five Premiership titles to falling out of love with the game, the record-breaking scrum half reveals all.

BEN OKRI

6pm • Town Hall • £12.50

“The hope is to delight and amuse,” says Sir Ben Okri of Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken-Hearted . 20 years after her husband first left her, a House of Lords peer hosts the eponymous event in a dreamlike chateau in the South of France. The guests, all in disguise, await a world-renowned clairvoyant last seen in TS Eliot’s The Waste Land . The Booker-winning novelist, essayist, playwright and poet returns to the Festival to discuss his writing and latest peek into the human condition.

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PROUD SPONSOR OF THE TOWN HALL STAGE AGAIN IN 2025

MARTIN EDWARDS’ MURDER MYSTERY!

6pm • The Relais • £10

Could you be the next Miss Marple? Richard Osman calls multi-award-winning, international bestseller Martin Edwards “a true master of British crime writing”. Now you can not only hear him discuss the much-loved genre and his latest novel Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife , but also solve a murder mystery yourself! Truly no better guide than the ‘King of Classic Crime’, Detection Club president and editor of the British Library’s Crime Classics series – all in the suitably classy setting of The Relais’ Salon.

MICHAEL PALIN

8pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £22 book & ticket

After an instant sell-out last year Michael Palin returns to Henley to take us to Venezuela. Earlier this year Sir Michael visited one of South America’s most culturally rich, vibrant but also troubled nations, for what is planned as his final major TV travel documentary. The noted diarist joins us to share his journal, a vivid account of the landscapes he journeyed through and the people he met – and reflect on a unique career that took him from Monty Python to Hollywood and around the world.

MARTIN O’NEILL

8pm • Town Hall • £12.50

What made Mourinho a Special One? How did Sir Alex stay in post for 27 years? As a Nottingham Forest player, Martin O’Neill won the European Cup twice under the inimitable Brian Clough, before becoming a game-changing gaffer himself at Wycombe Wanderers, Leicester City and Celtic. So who better to assess football managers from Cruyff and Wenger to Klopp and Guardiola in The Changing Game ? The wonderfully witty pundit, who also managed Ireland, Sunderland and Aston Villa, comes to Henley to discuss.

Ticket price includes a copy of Michael Palin in Venezuela (RRP £20) which will be given to you at the event.

© JOHN SWANNELL

HARRIET MUNCASTER: THE DIARY OF WISKA WILDFLOWER

10am • Town Hall • £8 • 5+

The creative, bubbly and ever-so-slightly shy Wiska is starting a new school, Inkcaps Academy! Oh and did we mention it’s for Wisklings, tiny creatures born from crystals who fly on flowers and have dragon-like pets called draglets? Harriet Muncaster, the internationally bestselling Isadora Moon , Mirabelle, Victoria Stitch and Emerald author-illustrator, returns to the Festival with a gorgeous new story of friendship and self-expression, told in diary format.

GYLES BRANDRETH

10am • Marquee at Phyllis Court

£28 book & ticket / £15 just ticket

How many national treasures can we squeeze into one event? Festival favourite Gyles

Brandreth returns with the extraordinary story of Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin and AA Milne in Somewhere, A Boy and A Bear. The subject of his previous No.1 bestseller Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, the late Queen, had a special interest in the ‘bear of very little brain’ and they share a centenary next year. A fascinating exploration of family, childhood, beloved characters and the writer behind them.

Book and ticket price includes a copy of Somewhere, A Boy and A Bear (RRP £25) which will be given to you at the event.

MASTER STORYTELLERS MEMOIR WORKSHOP

10am • The Relais • £12.50 (all proceeds to The Storytellers Foundation)

Want to write your own life story but not sure where to start? Award-winning writer Nick Boulos’ regret at not learning more about his much-missed grandmother spurred him to create Master Storytellers. From bespoke biographies, career retrospectives and memoirs to travelogues and tributes, their writing, interviewing, editing, photography and design experts can help you to plan and structure a beautiful book that captures your voice. This special seminar will set you off on a journey to tell your story.

EMILY GRAVETT: BEAR’S NAP

12pm • Town Hall • £8 • 3+

From Monkey and Me, The Odd Egg and Meerkat Mail to Bear and Hare, Too Much Stuff and 10 Dogs, Emily Gravett has been delighting children and their grown-ups for 20 years. Now – having also illustrated books by Michael Morpurgo and Julia Donaldson as well as this year’s programme cover – she returns to Henley with Bear’s Nap. Expect animal noises and maybe even a draw-along as the multi-award-winning author-illustrator brings to life her sweet, funny story of a bear trying to sleep!

ART LESSONS: KATE BRYAN & NICK TREND

12pm • The Relais • £10

Learn to understand – and yes, enjoy! – art on your own terms with the authors of two highly engaging books. Illustrated by David Shrigley, in How to Art: Bringing a Fancy Subject Down to Earth so We Can All Enjoy It, Soho House curator Kate Bryan shows how to own, make and love art. In What Art Can Tell Us About Love, Telegraph culture editor Nick Trend explores the passions, deep friendships and doomed romances that influenced artists including Caravaggio, Francis Bacon, Frida Kahlo and Peter Blake.

HISTORICAL FICTION TODAY

2pm • The Relais • £10

The authors of two novels that vividly bring the past to life, in the fitting setting of one of Henley’s most historic buildings. Vanessa Beaumont takes us to 1920s London and the South of France in her debut The Other Side of Paradise , as a young American heiress faces romantic and societal complexities. Carolyn Kirby follows Times book of the year When We Fall , with Ravenglass , a sweeping, immersive adventure set in 18th century Whitehaven amid Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion.

ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG: EVENFALL

2pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £10 • 9+

Do you have what it takes to become part of the Order of the Evening? Find out with Alexander Armstrong as he shares his top tips for writing stories and creating compelling villains. No.1 bestseller Evenfall:

The Golden Linnet is the first children’s book from the writer, presenter, comedian, and actor. Inspired by his childhood and the mystical history of the North, the book is bursting with ancient magic, secret societies, and fearsome foes! And now he comes to Henley with this interactive event.

HOLLIE MCNISH & SALENA GODDEN

2pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Readings and conversation from poetry phenomena! After Ted Hughes Award winner Nobody Told Me and Sunday Times bestseller Slug , Hollie McNish makes her Festival debut, days before her new collection is published. Hilarious, harrowing but always hopeful, Virgin explores the incredible power of that six-letter word, from Mary to mashed potato. With Love, Grief and Fury sees Mrs Death Misses Death author Salena Godden return to Henley with poems full of comfort, vulnerability, rage and inspiration.

© DAVID SHEINMANN

BEN SCHOTT

4pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Schott’s Original Miscellany was an international publishing sensation and No.1 bestseller, spawning sequels and the Schott’s Almanac series. Now Ben Schott comes to the Festival with a dynamic evolution of the concept perfect for our curious times, complete with his trademark detail, originality and charm. Schott’s Significa: An Unexpectedly Essential Guide to Language decodes the private lexicons all around us, from spies and sommeliers to gym-goers and graffiti-artists.

EMILY GRAVETT: ILLUSTRATION WORKSHOP

4pm • The Relais • £10

A real treat: after her children’s event earlier in the day, Emily Gravett joins Daniel Hahn to discuss her career, followed by an active drawing session. In the 20 years since her debut Wolves won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal, she has written and illustrated over 25 books including Orange Pear Apple Bear, Tidy and Meerkat Mail . A skilled potter and the artist behind our programme cover, she has also illustrated books by Michael Morpurgo, A.F. Harrold, Frances Hardinge and Matt Haig.

STEPHEN COTTRELL: THE LORD’S PRAYER

4pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £12.50

It is perhaps the most famous prayer in the world, said by millions each day in almost every Christian church service, from christenings to coronations, and translated into 1,437 languages. Now the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell , returns to the Festival with Praying By Heart: The Lord’s Prayer for Everyone and The Lord’s Prayer: A Beginner’s Guide , beautifully illustrated by Jack Seymour, his exploration of what he calls ‘a manifesto for the heart…in under 70 words’.

AT THE HENLEY LITERARY FESTIVAL

Join us for a glass of wine to celebrate great stories and a perfect partnership!

Laithwaites is proud to be the wine partner for the Henley Literary Festival for the 15th year. Enjoy Laithwaites wines at various festival events and take part in our Wine School tasting at the Town Hall on Sunday 5th October. Check the listings for details.

MINUTES

LAITHWAITES WINE SCHOOL

6pm & 8pm • Town Hall • £10

Join Laithwaites for an interactive wine tasting session! An expert host will guide you through a delightful flight of six wines, each with its own intriguing story. Along the way, you’ll also discover how your surroundings can influence the way you experience wine, through a unique and engaging sensory exploration. Whether you’re a connoisseur or simply curious, don’t miss your chance to attend Wine School with one of the country’s most respected retailers, a longtime Festival supporter. To purchase tickets go to: www.laithwaites. co.uk/next/Henley-Literary-Festival

JAY RAYNER

8pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

HEADLINE PROOF PARTY

6pm • The Relais • £15 inc. drink and two proof editions

Hear from the authors of two of 2026’s most-anticipated novels from publisher Headline – and take proof copies home! Sarah Jessica Parker has already announced her adoration for Room 706 ; Ellie Levenson ’s suspenseful debut sees Kate trapped somewhere she shouldn’t be with a man she definitely doesn’t love. Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett follows The Year of the Cat with thought-provoking novel Female, Nude , as a Greek holiday challenges everything painter Sophie thinks she knows about art, sex and motherhood.

The ever-tasteful, often hilarious and always readable writer and broadcaster Jay Rayner joins us to answer questions such as what’s the best way to roast a chicken – and if he’s so bloody clever, why doesn’t he just open his own damn restaurant? Nights Out at Home is his memoir-in-recipes, covering his award-winning 25 years as The Observer ’s restaurant critic. Now holding the same title at the FT , he comes to Henley for an uproarious, insightful and butter-smeared journey of a dream job.

This event is in partnership with Fane.

LADY HALE

10am • Town Hall • £12.50

As Supreme Court president, Lady Hale won global attention in finding the 2019 prorogation of Parliament to be unlawful. Hailed as a pioneering reformer throughout her unconventional rise to the UK’s most senior judge, she follows her memoir Spider Woman and comes to Henley with With The Law on Our Side . From magistrates’ courts to the Old Bailey, this is a captivating citizen’s handbook to our vast, ancient and oftenintimidating laws and justice system from a supremely expert guide.

TIM WILLASEY-WILSEY

10am • The Relais • £12.50

Baltic aristocrat Baron William de Ropp was MI6’s top secret agent in Germany throughout the 1930s and, having escaped Berlin just before war broke out, became its most important resource within the highest Nazi circles, including direct access to Hitler. His full story is told for the first time in The Spy and the Devil . Foreign Office veteran Tim Willasey-Wilsey, visiting professor of war studies at King’s College, joins us to discuss this outstandingly effective but enigmatic British spy.

TRISTAN GOOLEY

12.30pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court £15

We are used to winter ice and the longer days of summer, but what about springtime meteor showers and curious creature behaviour in autumn? Natural navigator Tristan Gooley returns to Henley with The Hidden Seasons: A Calendar of Nature’s Clues & Signs. Full of rich insights into our turning year, he shows us how the sun, moon, plants, animals and water reflect our seasons back to us. Discover what we are missing with the bestselling author of The Secret World of Weather and How to Read a Tree.

ANNE SEBBA: THE WOMEN’S ORCHESTRA OF AUSCHWITZ

12.30pm • Town Hall • £12.50

What role could music play in a death camp? For the first time the full, astonishing story is told by award-winning biographer Anne Sebba. From internationally renowned violinist Alma Rosé to teen cellist and last surviving member Anita LaskerWallfisch, she reveals how being made to play music, both for fellow inmates and Nazi officers, saved most of their lives. 80 years after liberation, Anthony Seldon says “If you read just one book about Auschwitz and the Holocaust, make it this.”

MATT RIDLEY: DARWIN’S STRANGEST IDEA

12.30pm • The Relais • £10

For birds, courtship can be a transcendent event. While his peers found it impossible to believe female birds could select mates, Charles Darwin was obsessed with the idea of sexual as well as natural selection. In Birds, Sex & Beauty internationally bestselling science writer Matt Ridley shows how biologists from the Victorian era to the present have grappled with this idea, with his own studies including the Black Grouse in the Pennines and Bowerbirds in Australia. The Genome author joins us to discuss.

MARY BEARD

3pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

The country’s most respected classicist comes to the Festival for the first time. From her distinguished Cambridge career to the BBC’s Meet the Romans and Civilisations , Professor Dame Mary Beard casts fresh light on what we think we know about Ancient Rome, drawing thought-provoking connections with today’s political landscape. The Emperor of Rome and SPQR author comes to Henley to take us beyond battles and Caesars to the gritty reality of a gladiator’s life and the Republic’s tumultuous final days.

This event is in partnership with Fane.

MONDAY TO FRIDAY

© CATERINA TURRONI AND LION TV

LUCY EASTHOPE

3pm • Town Hall • £12.50

How can we cope with whatever the world throws at us – be it redundancy, loss or a pandemic? No one can better answer this than Lucy Easthope , the UK’s leading expert on emergency planning and disaster recovery. After her instant Sunday Times bestseller When The Dust Settles , Lucy returns to the Festival with Come What May: Life-Changing Lessons for Coping with Crisis From Grenfell and 9/11 to earthquakes and floods she shares what she has learned about how to carry on during and after terrible times.

REVEREND RICHARD COLES

6pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

Praise be! A new Canon Clement mystery from the Reverend Richard Coles A Death on Location takes us to Champton in the spring of 1990 as the village becomes a glamorous movie set until an ingenious murder interrupts filming. The three previous books in the series have been No.1 bestsellers and the first, Murder Before Evensong will soon be hitting our TV screens. The much-loved priest, broadcaster, Fathomless Riches author, Sunday Times columnist and former popstar makes his Festival debut.

LORNA GIBB : HIDDEN LANGUAGES

3pm • The Relais • £10

From Australia, India and Namibia to Paraguay, Scotland and beyond, linguist Lorna Gibb is an expert and entertaining guide to the world’s rarest languages –some under threat and others enjoying a resurgence. Rare Tongues explores what these varied systems of whistles, clicks, vowels, consonants and tones teach us about our planet and the history of all mankind. The author of Childless Voices and West’s World joins us with her compelling case for preserving the rich linguistic diversity of our world.

MONDAY TO FRIDAY

© NATALIE DAWKINS

HOW TO SAVE THE OCEAN

6pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Environmentalist and filmmaker Colin Butfield is a longtime collaborator of David Attenborough and together they have produced Ocean: How to Save Earth’s Last Wilderness , a book almost a century in the making – and never more urgent. Through eight unique habitats, countless intriguing species and personal stories they share the ocean’s stunning story. Now former WWF campaigns director and Earthshot author, Colin, joins us to show how we could see a fully restored marine world within our lifetime.

Step into a world of exploration and discovery at our ‘Around the World’ themed Open Morning! From landmark scavenger hunts to international artworks, there’s something to spark every young explorer's curiosity.

Meet our friendly teachers, tour our vibrant classrooms, and see how our school fosters courage, creativity, confidence, and a love of learning.

Don’t miss this fun-filled morning—your family’s journey of discovery starts here! Join us from 9.45am to 12pm on Thursday 16 October.

Scan the QR Code to find out more and book your place.

THE BATTLE FOR JUSTICE

6pm • The Relais • £10

Could we ever see Putin in the dock for his crimes? Or a Western ally like Netanyahu? Putting a country’s leader on trial once seemed unimaginable, but the possibilities of justice are transforming, as Steve Crawshaw shows in Prosecuting the Powerful . From the Geneva Conventions and Nuremberg to current developments at The Hague, hear from an international justice expert with over three decades experience, first as a journalist and then with Amnesty International, the UN and Human Rights Watch.

GRAHAM FELLOWS: JOHN SHUTTLEWORTH

8pm • Town Hall • £12.50

40 years after Graham Fellows introduced John Shuttleworth to an unexpecting nation, his singer-songwriter alter ego remains one of our best-loved comedy characters, ranked ‘the 42nd best reason to love Britain’ by the Telegraph , from three decades on Radio 4 to BBC2 rockumentary 500 Bus Stops . Now Graham – who first found fame in the punk era as Jilted John – comes to Henley with John Shuttleworth Takes the Biscuit as the Sheffield star shares stories and songs.

KATHERINE GRAINGER’S CRIME NIGHT: AMANDA JENNINGS, KELLY MULLEN & TOM HINDLE

8pm • The Relais • £12.50

Gold-medallist turned British Olympic Association chair Dame Katherine Grainger is joined by three top writers of her favourite genre: crime fiction. Kelly Mullen ’s debut This is Not a Game is a modern country house mystery with an unlikely septuagenarian sleuth. Murder on Lake Garda bestseller Tom Hindle takes us on a luxury voyage to the North Pole in Death in the Arctic . And Henley’s own Amanda Jennings invites us to a glamorous wedding where things take a dark turn, in Beautiful People

MONDAY TO FRIDAY

TRACY BORMAN

10am • Town Hall • £12.50

March 1603. With almost her last breath Queen Elizabeth I finally anoints her successor, ensuring the throne passes peacefully from Tudor to Stuart. Except, that never happened and James VI started his reign on a lie, one with devastating consequences. Historic Royal Palaces chief historian Tracy Borman, author of bestsellers including Crown & Sceptre , Thomas Cromwell and The Private Lives of the Tudors , returns to Henley with the rigorously researched, enthrallingly told The Stolen Crown .

SINCLAIR MCKAY

10am • The Relais • £12.50

Peter the Great’s ‘window on to Europe’, Saint Petersburg, was renamed in Lenin’s honour for decades and gave us Vladimir Putin. Based on news sources, including unpublished diaries and unprecedented access to Russian archives, Saint Petersburg: Sacrifice and Redemption in the City That Defied Hitler spans centuries while centering on the three-year Siege of Leningrad. The Secret Life of Bletchley Park bestseller Sinclair McKay returns to the Festival with his biography of a fascinating city.

MARK KITTO & CHRIS COPPEL

12.30pm • The Relais • £10

Every year at the Festival we take pride in showcasing authors with local connections, particularly in the field of fiction where we might just find the audience an unexpected favourite new read! This year we have a nice international twist; Mark Kitto grew up in Maidenhead and went on to spend decades in China, including Shanghai and Mount Mogan; Chris Coppel was born in California and lived across the US, France, Spain and Switzerland before settling in Henley! They join us to discuss their page-turning novels, writing and local highlights.

ANDREW LOWNIE

12.30pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Full of revelations, Entitled is the first joint biography of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, long divorced but still cohabitating. Drawing on years of research, Freedom of Information requests and interviews with over 100 new sources, Andrew Lownie reveals how they sustain their extravagant lifestyles and delves into links with Jeffrey Epstein that go much further than previously reported. The bestselling author of Stalin’s Englishman and Traitor King returns to Henley with his eye-watering new biography.

JOANNE BRIGGS: THE SCIENTIST WHO WASN’T THERE

3pm • The Relais • £12.50

How far would you go to find out the truth about someone you love? Joanne Briggs knew her father as a NASA expert, WHO adviser and pharma executive. But Professor Michael Briggs had a secret. Soon after a career-ending scandal involving compromised research and devastating defects, he died from a mystery illness in a foreign country. She joins us to discuss her award-winning, investigative family memoir and the discovery that the internationally renowned scientist’s greatest invention was himself.

JO HAMILTON: THE POST OFFICE SCANDAL

3pm • Town Hall • £12.50

The touch of a button on Horizon’s faulty system not only doubled an already inexplicable £2,000 shortfall for Hampshire subpostmaster Jo Hamilton, it put her at the heart of a decades-long scandal. Wrongfully prosecuted, she cofounded the victims’ national campaign, had her conviction overturned and was immortalised in Mr Bates vs The Post Office . Why Are You Here, Mrs Hamilton? is her account of one of modern history’s biggest miscarriages of justice, but also a story of community and hope.

MARCUS DU SAUTOY

6pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Our instincts may tell us that maths and art are two incompatible subjects, the former the realm of precise logic, the latter of emotion. But what if we’re wrong? That’s what Marcus du Sautoy, one of the UK’s leading scientists and illustrious Gillotts alumnus, asks us to consider in Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity . Oxford’s Professor for the Public Understanding of Science takes us from stone circles and Mozart’s obsession with numbers to the radically modern architecture of Zaha Hadid.

VASEEM KHAN: Q

6pm • The Relais • £12.50

Q is out of MI6…and in over his head. One of the most beloved James Bond characters finally gets his own adventure. Unexpectedly ousted from his role developing tech for British Intelligence, Major Boothroyd returns to his sleepy hometown Wickstone-onWater only to find a cryptic note and mysterious death to investigate. Inspector Chopra and Malabar House creator Vaseem Khan returns to the Festival with Quantum of Menace , the first in a new series produced in tandem with the Ian Fleming estate.

ALAN DAVIES

6pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

From realising most people recognise him from a bank advert, to starring in two of the most beloved TV shows of the last 30 years, Alan Davies shares how he survived – and very nearly didn’t – the highs and lows of life-changing fame in White Male Stand-Up . The QI panelist, Jonathan Creek actor and Edinburgh award-winner joins us in Henley amidst his stand-up tour Think Ahead with the follow-up to his bestselling childhood memoir Just Ignore Him , a startlingly honest account of his comedy career.

© TONY BRIGGS

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PETER FRANKOPAN

8pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

The Silk Roads was a publishing sensation; an international bestseller – No.1 in China, India and the UK – translated in over 40 languages, with a sell-out here at the Festival. Now Peter Frankopan returns to Henley with a stunning 10th anniversary edition, complete with a new introduction and conclusion. Oxford’s Professor of Global History takes us from antiquity to present day in the region where civilisation began, languages and ideas spread, goods were exchanged and religions took root.

JEREMY VINE & ROBERT THOROGOOD

8pm • Town Hall • £15

Criminal conversation at its most charming! Death in Paradise creator Robert Thorogood returns with Murder on the Marlow Belle . The body of a local am dram bigwig washes up on the Thames with two bullet holes in the latest bestseller in the Marlow Murder Club series, now also a hit TV series. In Murder on Line One radio talk show host Edward Temmis sets out to solve the suspicious death of a devoted listener; so who better to write this elegant and engaging mystery than Radio 2 stalwart Jeremy Vine?

ALAN JOHNSON

10am • Town Hall • £15

Harold Wilson won four elections and a European referendum, as well as overseeing dramatic social change. Alan Johnson brings his unique perspective as a key part of the Blair and Brown administrations to his biography Harold Wilson: Twentieth Century Man. Often referred to as one of the greatest Prime Ministers we never had, former Home Secretary and Shadow Chancellor Alan turns his attention to one of 10 Downing Street’s most influential residents. Alan will be in conversation with John Rentoul, The Independent’s chief political commentator. This event is in partnership with The Independent.

DIANA HENRY: FOOD & LIFE

12.30pm • Town Hall • £15

With over a million books sold worldwide and columns in the Sunday Telegraph and Waitrose Weekend , Diana Henry is one of our best-loved food writers. Now she comes to Henley with Around the Table , a beautiful collection of the best of her award-winning writing spanning over two decades. From the simple pleasure of a warming piece of toast, to blood-red threads of saffron that turn whole platters into gold, let the author of A Bird in the Hand , SIMPLE and How to Eat a Peach share the joys of good food.

THANT MYINT-U: PEACEMAKER

12.30pm • The Relais • £10

The United Nations’ longest-serving secretary-general and the sixth ‘mostadmired man in America’ by the time he declined a third term in 1971, today U Thant is largely forgotten. Now his grandson Thant Myint-U – called “the greatest living historian of Burma” by William Dalrymple and a UN peacekeeper himself for a decade – reveals his integral role in crises from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Six-Day War and how his unrelenting efforts to bring peace to Vietnam put him at odds with President Johnson.

TONY ROBINSON

3pm • Town Hall • £12.50

From Blackadder and Maid Marian to Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History , Sir Tony Robinson is a master at bringing the past to life. So what a treat to have him at the Festival with a supremely witty. thilling story of Alfred the Great, Saxons and the making of England. The House of Wolf is a pageturning epic that takes us from Wessex to Rome and Lindisfarne. He joins to reflect on an eclectic career that started in the original cast of Oliver! and now sees his first novel for adults aged 79.

DENISE LEWIS

12.30pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

“As ironic as it might seem, retiring from professional sport was the first time I had to learn how to run my own race, set my own agenda, self-praise and be my own coach.” So says Dame Denise Lewis who competed at three Olympics, winning gold in Sydney, and was twice Commonwealth Games champion before becoming a BBC broadcaster. She comes to Henley with Adaptability: Seven Lessons to Thrive in a World of Competing Demands , using her experience on and off the track to help reach our potential.

© THE FOLD

© PAUL MARC MITCHELL

MICHAEL HESELTINE

3pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

From resigning as Thatcher’s Defence Secretary over Westland, to being one of the most vocal Conservative critics of Brexit, via surprise comebacks 25 years apart under Major and Cameron, Lord Heseltine has been ploughing his own furrow politically for decades – all while creating the renowned Thenford Arboretum. MP for Henley for 27 years, the former Deputy PM and Haymarket founder returns with From Acorns to Oaks, looking both back on his unique career and forward with his agenda to rebuild Britain. Michael will be in conversation with The Independent’s Simon Walters.This event is in partnership with The Independent.

CONFLICT, COLONIALISM, CULTURE

3pm • The Relais • £10

How do we find hope – and ourselves –in the wake of an unfinished violent past? Two must-read writers discuss. Oxford professor and museum curator Dan Hicks follows New York Times bestseller The Brutish Museums with Every Monument Will Fall , exploring the legacies of militarism and slavery in our cultural institutions. Professor and Jhalak Prize founder Sunny Singh’s Refuge: Stories of War (and Love) spans continents and decades, focusing on the often-overlooked lives of those who have lived through war.

JULIA BRADBURY

6pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Can you go from a worrying diagnosis to being healthier and fitter than ever before? That’s the question much-loved broadcaster Julia Bradbury set out to answer in Hack Yourself Healthy: Reclaim Your Health to Boost Your Energy, Clear Your Mind & Live a Long, Vibrant Life , following her own battle with cancer. The bestselling Walk Yourself Happy author and former Countryfile host returns to Henley with the secrets of personalised medicine and how to make it work for you.

MICK HERRON

6pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court £25 book & ticket / £15 just ticket

With his internationally acclaimed series also a huge hit on screen as Slow Horses; Mick Herron comes to Henley with the long-awaited- new Slough House thriller. In Clown Town River Cartwright investigates his grandfather’s secret library while Jackson Lamb tries in vain to keep his reject spies at their desks. With his Oxford-set Down Cemetery Road now also being adapted by Apple TV, starring Emma Thompson as Zoë Boehm, the multi-award-winning No.1 bestseller joins Daniel Hahn in conversation.

Book and ticket price includes a copy of Clown Town (RRP £22) which will be given to you at the event.

ALEX PARTRIDGE:

ADHD CHATTER & CLARITY

6pm • The Relais • £12.50

Aged just 21 Alex Partridge found LADBible and UNILAD, social news phenomena with audiences of over 100 million worldwide. But then came a legal dispute, alcoholism and mental health issues, before an ADHD diagnosis in his 30s brought a life-changing sense of clarity. He joins us with Now It All Makes Sense , a groundbreaking book drawing on learnings from his chart-topping podcast ADHD Chatter , covering everything from finances and parenting to shopping lists and YouTube rabbit holes.

IRVINE WELSH: TRAINSPOTTING RETURNS

8pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Published in 1993, Trainspotting was a cultural sensation; selling over a million copies in the UK alone and becoming a hit stage play, film and musical. Now Irvine Welsh returns to Henley with the highly anticipated immediate sequel to his iconic debut novel. A riotous new journey spanning Edinburgh, London, Amsterdam and Paris, Men in Love sees Renton, Begbie, Spud and Sick Boy move from the 80s into the 90s, replacing heroin with hopes of romance and redemption amid the rise of rave culture.

CALLY BEATON & SUZI RUFFELL

8pm • The Relais • £12.50

Sit down with two top stand-ups! From struggling to find her groove at school and on stage to coming out, becoming a parent and starring on Live at the Apollo, Suzi Ruffell shares her story and answers life’s big questions in Am I Having Fun Now? A chance conversation with Joan Rivers inspired Cally Beaton‘s radical midlife switch from the boardroom to QI and Radio 4; her Namaste Motherf*ckers is part-memoir, partstereotype-defying manifesto. An unmissable hour with two seriously funny women. This event is in partnership with Honk Henley.

DES POWELL: MY SAS

10am • The Relais • £10

With little formal education, Des Powell joined the Parachute Regiment at 19. Undaunted, he went on to the only training regime tougher in the UK military- the SAS – and he remains the only person to pass it twice, after a heartbreaking withdrawal first time round. The co-author of international bestseller Bravo Three Zero joins us with SAS: My Trial By Fire , his against-the-odds story of becoming an elite special forces operator, facing interrogation, hostile climates and more, across four continents.

SARAH VINE

10am • Town Hall • £12.50

Buckle up. That’s the advice of Sarah Vine when it comes to reading her memoir How Not to be a Political Wife . The award-winning Daily Mail columnist, previously of The Times , was married to Michael Gove – a senior Cabinet figure amid a truly turbulent time in British politics – for 20 years, and they continue to co-parent following their 2022 divorce. She comes to the Festival to discuss her eye-opening account of high hopes, lowdown tricks, broken friendships, divided loyalties, heartaches and regrets.

SUE CAMPBELL: GAME CHANGER

12pm • The Relais • £12.50

From helping hard-to-reach kids as a PE teacher to overseeing London 2012 and Lionesses success, it’s no wonder Lord Coe cites Baroness Campbell as British sport’s most important figure of the last 40 years. Chair of UK Sport for a decade, she then became the FA’s Director of Women’s Football, helping the team to Euros victory and the World Cup final, driven by a refusal to take no for an answer. She comes to Henley to share how to discover your purpose, build a winning team – and change lives. She will be in conversation with Dame Katherine Grainger .

BLAIR & THATCHER:

STEVE RICHARDS & IAIN DALE

12pm • Town Hall • £15

A pair of our leading political commentators take on the two most influential Prime Ministers of the last 50 years. Margaret Thatcher was Iain Dale ’s childhood heroine, inspiring him into politics. Now, in her centenary year, the LBC host explodes some of the myths that surround her. Tony Blair is second only to the Iron Lady as our longest-serving post-war PM; columnist and The Week in Westminster presenter Steve Richards saw it all and joins us with his short and provocative new biography.

EDWARD STOURTON

2pm • Town Hall • £12.50

From picket lines and party conferences to the present-day phenomena of social media and fake news, Edward Stourton has seen it all in his 46-year journalistic career. A Channel 4 News founder and former ITN correspondent, he has been a respected BBC broadcaster for over three decades, perhaps most notably on Today and The World at One . The Sunday presenter joins us with an updated edition of his memoir Confessions , from his unique upbringing to reporting from Haiti, Hong Kong, Lebanon and more.

EMMA VOWLES: THE STYLE CHAPTER

2pm • The Relais • £10 includes £10 Busby & Fox voucher

How do we create a wardrobe that evolves as our own story does? Busby & Fox founder Emma joins us for an inspiring, practical session on how to tell your unique narrative through style. Her independent women’s clothing brand began in Devon a decade ago and now has a growing number of stores, including here in Henley. Emma shares her expert advice on everything from mastering seasonal transitions to the art of layering – all using timeless, blendable pieces that reflect who you are and where you’re going next.

GRAHAM BRADY

2pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

As the Conservative Party’s 1922 Committee chair for their 14 years in government, Sir Graham Brady oversaw votes of no confidence in Theresa May and Boris Johnson and three leadership contests, stepping back from 2019’s as he considered his own run. He comes to Henley with Kingmaker: Secrets, Lies and the Truth about Five Prime Ministers , his insider account of one of the most turbulent periods in British politics, exploring how leadership failures originate and who will be fit to lead us tomorrow.

JEREMY HUNT

4pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

Having been Foreign Secretary under Theresa May, Chancellor under Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak and the minister with oversight of the 2012 Olympics under David Cameron, Sir Jeremy is uniquely placed to look at how Britain is perceived and what role we have to play globally. Neither tub-thumpingly nationalistic nor pessimistically declinist, Can We Be Great Again? is a thought-provoking analysis of the country’s present and future in the background of Brexit and Trump’s ‘America First’ administration. Jeremy will be in conversation The Independent ’s Simon Walters . This event is in partnership with The Independent.

SONIA PURNELL: KINGMAKER

4pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Pamela Churchill Harriman was one of the most powerful women of the last century. Her accomplishments were often overshadowed by a glamorous social life and infamous erotic adventures but her political influence spanned from father-in-law Sir Winston to the Kennedys and Clintons. New York Times bestseller Sonia Purnell follows her biographies of Virginia Hall, Boris Johnson and Clementine Churchill with Kingmaker , named a Best Book of the Year by the Telegraph , The New Yorker , Apple, the FT and more.

CRICKET PAST & FUTURE

4pm • The Relais • £12.50

Two top cricket writers reflect on the last half-century and ask what the next decade holds. Sunday Telegraph correspondent Scyld Berry started by assisting EW Swanton in 1973 and has covered every England tour since; 500 Declared is his story of reporting on that unprecedented tally of Test matches and watching the sport evolve. With T20 booming, Test cricket is in mortal danger, argues The Cricketer editor Huw Turbervill in The Final Test, as he speaks to Gooch, Gower and more about the game they love. They will be in conversation with broadcaster Jim Rosenthal

RAYMOND BLANC

6pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £28 book & ticket / £15 just ticket

One of the finest chefs in the world – and the only one to be awarded both the Légion d’honneur and an OBE – comes to Henley! Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons has retained two Michelin stars for 35 years and now he joins us with his celebration of the seasonal ingredients he grows and cooks there in Simply Raymond: Kitchen Garden. Journey from the vegetable patch to the kitchen – via Mushroom Valley, the Japanese Tea Garden and his vast orchard – in the company of a true master.

and ticket price includes a copy

Book

of Simply Raymond: Kitchen Garden (RRP £26) which will be given to you at the event.

JONATHAN FREEDLAND

6pm • Town Hall • £12.50

What does it take to stand up to tyranny and risk everything for strangers? Jonathan Freedland follows The Escape Artist with another little-known true story. The Traitors Circle takes us to a 1943 Berlin tea party as army and government officials, countesses and other secret rebels against Hitler join forces to rescue Jews and plan for a post-Nazi Germany. But one guest will betray them to the Gestapo. The Guardian columnist returns to the Festival with a stunning story of courage and sacrifice.

MUM’S

NIGHT OUT: DR TARA

PORTER & HOLLY BOURNE

8pm • The Relais • £12.50

Sunday Times bestsellers Dr Tara Porter and Holly Bourne join Don’t Buy Her Flowers founder Steph Douglas to talk parenting, female friendships, modern life and their latest books. After international success for her first book You Don’t Understand Me, Good Enough is clinical psychologist Tara’s manifesto to empower and reduce pressure on parents. How Do You Like Me Now? novelist and Women’s Aid ambassador Holly explores themes of motherhood, infertility, social media and more in So Thrilled For You .

MARTIN BRUNT

6pm • The Relais • £12.50

“Call Martin Brunt, he knows everything before we do” is what The Times said Suffolk Police told a rival journalist; so who better to give us insight into crime reporting? On air with Sky News since its inception in 1989, Martin Brunt has been the channel’s crime correspondent for over three decades. In No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason the True Criminals podcaster looks at the press-police relationship, the impact of social media and why some crimes are ignored and others grip the nation.

SIMON ARMITAGE

8pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

The Poet Laureate joins us at the Festival for the first time, just as his highly imaginative new collection is published. The conversion of a West Yorkshire beauty spot into a municipal graveyard was the spark for New Cemetery; the life-enhancing poems within see Simon make peace with the dead and reflect the changing world, all observed across a few acres of Pennine upland. From the loss of his father to lockdowns, don’t miss your chance to hear these wry, surprising poems and the stories behind them. Simon will be in conversation with Editor-in-Chief of The Independent, Geordie Greig This event is in partnership with The Independent.

HALLIE RUBENHOLD

8pm • Town Hall • £12.50

No murderer should be the keeper of their victim’s story. Hallie Rubenhold , author of No.1 bestseller The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper , comes to the Festival for the first time with Story of a Murder: The Wives, The Mistress and Dr Crippen . Her forensically researched, gripping account of this infamous crime provides an electrifying snapshot of the UK and US in the Edwardian era, highlights the role played by Belle Elmore’s fellow music hall women and her husband’s lover Ethel le Neve.

TRELAWNY’S CORNWALL

10am • Town Hall • £12.50

Despite sharing his first name with one of Cornwall’s most celebrated saints and his last with its unofficial national anthem, Radio 3 stalwart Petroc Trelawny found himself challenged on his Cornish ancestry and inspired to return to his childhood lands to see if he still belonged there. A key part of the BBC’s Proms and Royal coverage, he comes to Henley with his deeply felt exploration of the southernmost county, mixing memoir with insight into Cornwall’s past, present and future.

MR. MEN & LITTLE

MISS STORYTIME

10:00 -10:30 & 10:45 - 11:15 The Relais • £6 • 0+

What does a tickle look like? That question to Roger Hargreaves from his son sparked the series that has delighted us for over 50 years. From Mr. Bump and Little Miss Hug to the recent Discover You books exploring children’s emotions and wellbeing, these much-loved stories have made their home in millions of bookshelves around the world. So grab your little ones and join star storyteller Vanessa for a happy half-hour, complete with classic characters, nursery rhymes, music and movement.

SOPHIA MONEY-COUTTS: PUPPY DIARIES

12pm • The Relais • £10

Sophia Money-Coutts had visions of puppy perfection. But then, reality bites. An unexpected breakup left her to care for Parson terrier Dennis alone and he is pure slipper-shredding, earplug-eating chaos. But he also becomes an unlikely source of comfort in a turbulent year. A columnist for The Times and The Sunday Telegraph, and the author of bestsellers The Plus One and The Right Place , Sophia returns to Henley with her hilarious and poignant look at dogs and the messy beauty of life.

JUNG CHANG

12pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

Wild Swans defined a generation; the epic family history from China’s last Emperor to the end of the Mao era sold over 15 million copies in more than 40 languages. Three decades on we are thrilled to have Jung Chang in Henley to discuss her longawaited sequel Fly, Wild Swans . With China – where her mother still lives – at another watershed moment under Xi Jinping, she offers an immersive, moving account of life in a communist dictatorship and the threats it poses to the international world order.

DAN JONES: LION HEARTS

12pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Historian Dan Jones – author of New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers The Plantagenets and The Templars – makes his Henley debut with the epic conclusion to his Essex Dogs trilogy. From the court of Edward III and the aftermath of the plague to a deadly mission to Castille, Lion Hearts follows the fortunes of 10 ordinary soldiers in the Hundred Years’ War. The host of the This is History podcast and Secrets of Great British Castles on Netflix joins us to effortlessly bring the 1300s to life.

Beckhoff is a pioneering technology company that specializes in automation solutions, with its UK roots planted firmly in Henley-on-Thames.

SATHNAM SANGHERA

2pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

From democracy and driving on the left to religion and law, the influence of the British Empire has been profound. But our idea of our imperial history and the world’s experience of it – including the 2.6 billion living in former colonies – are two very different things. In Empireworld Sathnam Sanghera follows bestseller Empireland by tracing its global legacy and seeking nuance in Barbados, India, Mauritius, Nigeria and beyond. He joins fellow journalist and author Gary Younge in conversation.

SIMON HART: DIARIES OF A CHIEF WHIP

2pm • Town Hall • £12.50

18 months in a job may not seem long but Simon Hart ’s tenure as Conservative chief whip encompassed the entire Sunak premiership and places him second of the 13 in the role since 2010. Before losing his seat last July, his time as whip saw a record 15 MPs fall by the wayside: three resignations, two defections and 10 he had to suspend, including Matt Hancock and Lee Anderson. He joins us with Ungovernable , his unflinching insider account of the most turbulent times of recent British politics. Simon will be in conversation with The Oldie editor Harry Mount .

DAMIAN BARR & TASH AW

2pm • The Relais • £10

Two acclaimed writers, equally adept at novels and non-fiction. Twice nominated for the Booker, Tash Aw won the Whitbread First Novel Award for The Harmony Silk Factory and joins us with The South , an epic yet intimate story of the longing that blooms between two boys over one summer. Damian Barr followed Sunday Times Memoir of the Year Maggie & Me with You Will Be Safe Here and now The Two Roberts , a fictionalised, profoundly moving account of the relationship between two influential Scottish artists. They will be in conversation with Daniel Hahn .

IAIN MACGREGOR

4pm • Town Hall • £12.50

80 years on, the attack on the Japanese port city of Hiroshima remains one of history’s most significant events. Iain MacGregor returns to the Festival with The Hiroshima Men , a vivid and deeply human account of the approval, construction and fateful decision to drop the atomic bomb, based on new research and interviews. The Checkpoint Charlie and The Lighthouse of Stalingrad historian explores the decade-long build-up, from White House corridors and the New Mexico test site, to the aftermath.

ELIF SHAFAK

4pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

International bestseller – and Henley favourite – Elif Shafak joins us for a special career-spanning event. The Booker nominee’s novels include There are Rivers in the Sky , The Island of Missing Trees , 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World and The Forty Rules of Love , recently reissued in a beautiful new edition, alongside non-fiction How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division and Black Milk . Celebrate the transformative power of storytelling with one of its greatest practitioners.

POWER AND THE PALACE

4pm • The Relais • £10

From George VI’s wartime audiences with Churchill, to the King helping win over Trump, the interplay between our monarchs and political leaders has fascinated for over 200 years. Just think of the very different dynamics Victoria and Elizabeth II had with Disraeli and Thatcher. Bestselling Courtiers author and former Times royal correspondent Valentine Low joins us with his highly revealing insider account of these secretive, constantly changing, poorly understood yet pivotal relationships. Valentine will be interviewed by Robert Hardman .

GRAHAM NORTON

6pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court

£18 book & ticket

Friday night and Graham Norton : the perfect pairing! Over the last decade the much-loved, multi-BAFTA-winning presenter has established himself as, in The Guardian ’s words, “a magnificent novelist”, with Holding , A Keeper and Home Stretch . The Eurovision commentator and Book Club podcaster comes to Henley to discuss his career and latest instant Sunday Times bestseller Frankie , where our ageing protagonist looks back from present-day London to post-war Ireland and 1960s New York.

Ticket price includes a copy of Frankie (RRP £9.99) which will be given to you at the event.

NIGEL PLANER

6pm • Town Hall • £12.50

As Neil the hippy in The Young Ones Nigel Planer gave us one of the 80s’ most iconic TV characters and a Brit-winning No.2 single. Then came The Comic Strip Presents , The Magic Roundabout , Nicholas Craig and the original West End casts of Evita , Wicked and We Will Rock You! Now he comes to the Festival with his brilliantly titled, hilarious and heart-warming memoir Young Once . From friendships and rivalries in the alternative comedy scene to 20-ft éclairs falling from the sky, he shares his story.

© HODDER

GABRIEL WESTON

6pm • The Relais • £12.50

What does it mean to live in a body? As Gabriel Weston became a surgeon, mother and patient she grappled with the gap between the scientific knowledge she learnt at medical school with the unfathomable complexity of the human experience. The Trust Me, I’m A Doctor presenter follows her trailblazing medical memoir Direct Red with Alive: An Alternative Anatomy and joins us to discuss her profound, provocative journey through our bodies, more fragile and miraculous than we could have imagined.

ROBIN INCE

8pm • The Relais • £12.50

How to sum up Robin Ince ? The Guardian called him ‘a becardiganed polymath’ which the actor, author, broadcaster, comedian, podcaster and poet feels is about right. Having been diagnosed with ADHD in his early 50s, Robin returns to Henley with Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal: My Adventures in Neurodiversity . Drawn on personal experience and expert interviews, take a witty and proudly weird dive into human behaviour with the Bibliomaniac writer and The Infinite Monkey Cage co-host. Robin will be interviewed by broadcaster Kirsten O’Brien .

MORE TIME

We remain, quite deliberately, small enough that we can know every one of our students. Education here happens one student at a time.

JOANNA PAGE

8pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

Lush! From an idyllic Welsh childhood and the shock of joining RADA to Love Actually , her life-changing title role in Gavin & Stacey and making a home locally as a mum-of-four, Joanna Page has quite the story to tell. Her funny and endlessly surprising memoir features a colourful cast including Richard E. Grant, Emma Thompson, Johnny Depp and of course her sitcom co-stars. Join the actor and presenter as she celebrates finding your voice and learning to laugh at the messiest moments life has to offer.

CRIME AND WINE:

ADELE PARKS, AJAY CHOWDHURY & RUTH WARE

8pm • Town Hall • £15 inc. glass of Laithwaites wine

Our ever-popular event returns with its thrilling mix of top writers and a glass of Laithwaites! Lo Blacklock – Keira Knightley in Netflix’s upcoming The Woman in Cabin 10 – is back in The Woman in Suite 11 by New York Times No.1 Ruth Ware. Detective Kamil Rahman investigates a mysterious Mumbai murder in The Shadow by award-winning author Ajay Chowdhury. And Connie’s family reunion takes a dangerous turn in Our Beautiful Mess, an emotional domestic thriller by Sunday Times No.1 author Adele Parks

VANESSA TAYLOR: SEVEN RIVERS

10am • The Relais • £10

Via the Danube, Ganges, Mississippi, Niger, Nile, Yangtze and our very own Thames, Vanessa Taylor reveals how civilisation was shaped in Seven Rivers: A Journey through the Currents of Human History . It’s an epic story of alluvial gold, creation myths, decolonialism, fishing rituals, kidnappings and slavery. From the Romans and Ottomans to today with wild swimming flourishing while major river systems are dying, hear from one of the foremost experts on the Thames, in a venue that overlooks it.

KATY ASHWORTH: THIS THAT WHAT

10am • Town Hall • £8 • 3+

Meet Kiki! Her hullaballoo brain goes a mile a minute and sometimes she wishes it would stop! Having brought joy to millions of children as a performer and presenter on CBeebies, Katy Ashworth comes to Henley with her first picture book, beautifully illustrated by Colleen Larmour. Full of laugh-out-loud wordplay

This That What celebrates the way that Kiki and other neurodivergent children think and explores how to direct their creativity and energy.

BELLES BERRY & MARIELLA FROSTRUP

12pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Navigate the challenges and changes of midlife in the company of two women passionate about feeling your best through perimenopause and beyond: broadcaster – and the Government’s Menopause Employment Adviser – Mariella Frostrup and Belles Berry , daughter of Dame Mary and The Great Taste Company founder. From anti-bloat lunches like poached salmon with pak choi and mushrooms to metabolism-boosting dinners, Menolicious offers over 100 simple and delicious recipes to ease key symptoms of the menopause.

TWEEDY THE CLOWN: THE CLOWN WHO LOST HIS NOSE

12pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £10 • 3+

The big top lights are down, the ringmaster is ready, but oh no! Tweedy the Clown ‘s red nose is nowhere to be seen! A chaotic search ensues… You may have seen the master performer at Giffords Circus at Stonor or starring in his own show in Culden Faw last summer; now Tweedy is back in Henley with his laugh-out-loud picture book The Clown Who Lost His Nose , vibrantly illustrated by Daniel Duncan. Join him for circus magic, clowning antics and a story that shows the best thing you can be is yourself!

AROUND THE WORLD BY NIGHT TRAIN

12pm • The Relais • £12.50

From Scottish sleeper trains to South African wineries, take a ride around some of the world’s most exciting rail routes as Monisha Rajesh returns to Henley with Moonlight Express . After Around India in 80 Trains and National Geographic award-winner Around the World in 80 Trains , she turns to the slow travel of night trains. With two children in tow, she immersed herself in different cultures from Canadian streets populated by polar bears to the gothicspired churches of Transylvania.

HUGH BONNEVILLE: RORY SPARKES AND THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

2pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £10 • 9+

From Paddington and Mr Stink to Downton Abbey and W1A, Hugh Bonneville has delighted generations on screen. Now he comes to Henley the week his first children’s book is published. Like Hugh, schoolboy Rory grew up in Southeast London and we meet him in the wild ride that is Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room, brilliantly illustrated by Lorretta Schauer. When the circus rolls into town everything spirals out of control, but will Rory’s plans ever work out? Well it certainly won’t be boring…

LUCY MANGAN, SAM LEITH & DAISY BUCHANAN

2pm • The Relais • £10

Three of our best-loved booklovers on the magic of reading. Novelist and You’re Booked podcaster Daisy Buchanan brings us Read Yourself Happy , her engaging guide to using books to ease anxiety. Spectator literary editor and author Sam Leith provides a panoramic, poignant history of children’s literature in The Haunted Wood . And Guardian columnist Lucy Mangan continues where childhood memoir Bookworm left off in Bookish , showing how books of all kinds comfort and strengthen us as adults.

JIMI FAMUREWA: PICKY

2pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Food is never just food. It’s loaded with our upbringing and sense of self. It carries memories, transports and anchors. As a child, Jimi Famurewa refused all vegetables and dreamt of McDonalds, while his family preserved their Nigerian roots through jollof and suya. Now a Guild of Food Writers and Fortnum & Mason award-winning restaurant critic, and judge on Masterchef and The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver , he joins us with his second book Picky: From Fussy Child to Professional Gourmet . Jimi will be in conversation with Gurdeep Loyal .

GILL HORNBY

4pm • Town Hall • £12.50

As the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth approaches, we welcome back All Together Now author Gill Hornby with her long-awaited latest novel about the Austen family. The first, Miss Austen , this year became a BBC 1 drama starring Keeley Hawes as Cassandra, Jane’s only sister; Godmersham Park follows the governess of their niece Fanny; now, in The Elopement, Mary Knatchbull finds herself part of the family after her widowed father marries the now adult Fanny – and romance naturally follows…

COUNTESS OF CARNARVON

4pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

Go behind the scenes at one of Britain’s most iconic stately homes in A Year at Highclere Castle: Secrets & Stories from The Real Downton Abbey Lady Carnarvon returns to Henley to reveal what it’s really like living and working in this extraordinary home. She shares stories of Lady Almina’s 1920s parties and the ghosts said to roam the halls before bringing us right up to date as she explores the 5,000-acres estate with her eight dogs and welcomes back the film crew for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale .

ATHENA KUGBLENU: HISTORY’S MOST EPIC FAILS

4pm • The Relais • £8 • 10+

What world-changing invention was a total fluke? Which famous figure had to fail SPECTACULARLY before making it big? And how did one risky choice produce a multi-million-pound success?

In this fast-paced workshop, you’ll discover history’s biggest blunders and happy accidents. Comedian, CBBC writer and Bust or Trust podcaster Athena Kugblenu joins us with her follow-up to History’s Most Epic Fibs! with hilarious insights and a fun quiz, showing that failure isn’t just unavoidable, it’s essential!

GARDENING JOY

6pm • The Relais • £12.50

Two top writers join us to share what they’ve learned out in the garden. Buckinghamshire-based Sunday Times bestseller Anya Lautenbach – AKA the Garden Fairy and a Royal Windsor Flower Show ambassador – offers clear, budgetbeating advice month-by-month in The Money-Saving Garden Year . Burnt out by her London life, Kathy Slack moved to the Cotswolds where her veg patch brought her back to life. Fortnum & Mason’s vegetable expert shows the healing powers of nature in her candid and funny Rough Patch .

OTI MABUSE

6pm • Town Hall • £12.50

After claiming Latin dance championships around the world, Oti Mabuse became the only Strictly Come Dancing professional to win two years running, then a Dancing on Ice judge, watched by millions weekly. But when it came to her other passion of romantic fiction, she wasn’t seeing herself – as she puts it “empowered curvy Black women” – on the page. So, meet dancing hopeful Lira and Ballroom bad boy Gabriele as she comes to Henley with her swoon-worthy debut novel Slow Burn .

MARY BERRY

6pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court £30 book & ticket / £15 just ticket

1935 gave us Monopoly, Elvis, canned beer – and Dame Mary Berry! Now the newly nonagenarian national treasure reflects on her life and career in conversation with fellow Festival favourite Bryony Gordon. Six decades after her first book, Mary 90 sees Britain’s best-loved cook share her favourite recipes alongside stories and family photos; the mix of brand-new dishes and cherished classics includes her foolproof Pepper Pot Chicken, a freezer-friendly Mac and Cheese, Raspberry Soufflé and Lemon Drizzle Traybake.

Book and ticket price includes a copy of Mary 90 (RRP £28) which will be given to you at the event.

PENNY LANCASTER

8pm • Town Hall • £12.50

Model, photographer, Lady Stewart, Loose Women panellist, Special Constable… Penny Lancaster truly wears many hats! Alongside many highs, life has not been all plain-sailing, including undiagnosed dyslexia, IVF and an assault that inspired her to become a woman’s safety campaigner. Then came global scrutiny as a young woman as she began a romance with Sir Rod that has blossomed into a long marriage with two sons. She comes to Henley as she tells her full story for the first time in Someone Like Me .

SANDRA PARSONS: AGE LESS

10am • The Relais • £12.50

A back injury in her 40s sparked a lifestyle change for Daily Mail literary editor Sandra Parsons. Suddenly feeling old, she turned her back on years of smoking, drinking and late-night takeaways at her desk. Delving into the science she discovered ageing is now considered a treatable ‘disease’. Now 61 and also a yoga teacher, a recent test gave her a biological age of 20. She joins us with her Age Less , her three-step plan on how to eat, move and rest, backed by the world’s leading longevity experts.

DAVID SUCHET

10am • Marquee at Phyllis Court £32 book & ticket / £15 just ticket

As the star of Poirot Sir David Suchet brought one of Agatha Christie’s most iconic characters to life for a quarter of a century. Now he returns to Henley having retraced an international expedition the bestselling crime writer made in the 1920s. Complete with his extraordinary photographs and accompanying a Channel 4 series of the same name, Travels with Agatha Christie sees the award-winning actor visit the stunning landscapes of Australia, Canada, Hawai, New Zealand and South Africa.

Ticket price includes a copy of Travels with Agatha Christie (RRP £30) which will be given to you at the event.

BOOK CLUB: EMMA GANNON, ESTHER FREUD, NUSSAIBAH YOUNIS & ROISIN O’DONNELL

12pm • The Relais • £12.50

Meet the authors of four of 2025’s best novels. Emma Gannon follows Sunday Times bestseller Olive with the touching conversation-starter Table for One. Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize, Fundamentally draws on Dr Nussaibah Younis’ experience peacebuilding in Iraq. Hideous Kinky author Esther Freud returns with My Sister and Other Lovers, an irresistible exploration of family and freedom. And Roisín O’Donnell ’s extraordinary debut novel Nesting was an instant bestseller and Radio 2 Book Club pick.

TIM SPECTOR

12pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

If you are in possession of basic equipment and a little patience, Tim Spector wants to bring fermenting into your kitchen. The leading gut scientist, author of No.1 bestseller Food for Life , returns with Ferment: The Life-Changing Power of Microbes. With simple recipes and tips, the ZOE co-founder shows how even the humblest of ingredients can be transformed into nutritious meals with benefits for our gut health, immunity and mood. A chance to hear from one of the world’s most-cited scientists.

JODIE OUNSLEY: FUN WITH FURY!

12pm • Town Hall • £8 • 8+

Be strong, be brave, be confident! That’s the message Jodie Ounsley is bringing to Henley with her inspiring guide-forlife Keep Smashing It . Fury in the BBC’s Gladiators , Jodie is the first deaf female rugby player to win a senior England cap. Part of C4’s Paralympics team last year, she shares her experiences of being a woman in what is seen as a man’s game and providing deaf representation on primetime TV to show young people that anything is possible when you believe in yourself!

© PETER SCHIAZZA

Cranford is proud to continue supporting the Henley Literary Festival and nurturing the next generation of creative writers.

At Cranford, we are proud to offer a vibrant, exciting and motivating education to boys and girls aged 3-18. Rated ‘Excellent’ in all categories, we specialise in academic achievement, outstanding pastoral care and superb extra-curricular opportunities for all. Book your guided tour online and join us during Whole School Open Morning to see what a Cranford education can offer your child. Welcome!

OpenMorning Saturday 11th October 9:30am - 12:00pm

Excellence in Independent Education for Boys and Girls aged 3-18

Discover what a Cranford education can offer your child. Register your attendance at: www.cranfordschool.co.uk

JUDY MURRAY

2pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court • £15

Foul play on the tennis court? Former international player and national coach Judy Murray returns to Henley with Game, Set & Murder . Her second novel takes us to Surrey’s exclusive Royal Oaks Tennis Club where the ladies team’s championship celebration is disrupted by the death of their oh-so-charming coach, Jeremy, moments after he enjoys a slice of sponge cake. A Sunday Times bestseller with her autobiography Knowing the Score , Judy and the Festival are a perfect match! Judy will be in conversation with The Independent ’s Ellie Harrison . This event is in partnership with The Independent.

DONNA ASWORTH: WORDS CAN FLY

2pm • Town Hall • £8 • 9+

How does poetry make you feel? Wild Hope , Growing Brave and To the Women established Donna Ashworth as the UK’s most popular poet and now she returns to Henley with her first book for younger readers. Full of wisdom and warmth, the beautifully illustrated Words Can Fly: Mindful and Uplifting Poetry for Children explores family, friendship, school and the world around us. Readings and workshop tasks – including making positivity aeroplanes! – in this interactive event with the Sunday Times No.1 author.

CAROLYN MAYLING

4pm • The Relais • £10

How do we deal with unimaginable loss? Carolyn Mayling had to face this when her 11-year-old Rosie died six months after developing a rare auto immune disease. The director of Maidenhead’s Redroofs Theatre School joins us with The Future is Rosie , the moving and hopeful story of how her family learned to live again. The tragic loss inspired her to set up Rosie’s Rainbow Fund, which has since helped thousands of sick children with music therapy, as well as much-needed support for their families.

Creative Writing with Oxford University

Need an extra push to finish your novel, poem or play? Want to explore new genres?

Whether you’re a beginner wondering where to start, or an experienced writer looking to elevate your skills, we have a course for you.

Short courses in Oxford and online

• Workshops and day schools

• Weekend events

• Weekly learning courses

• Summer schools in Oxford

Part-time qualifications

• Certificate of Higher Education

• Diploma in Creative Writing

• Master’s in Creative Writing

MICHAEL MORPURGO: MORE TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE

4pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court £20 child inc. book / £12.50 adult • 7+

One of our most-loved storytellers returns to Henley! More Tales from Shakespeare sees Sir Michael retell eight of the Bard’s plays in his warm, accessible and inimitable style. Each is illustrated by a different artist, including Much Ado About Nothing by Axel Scheffler and Julius Caesar by Dapo Adeola. As anyone who has attended one of the War Horse author’s previous Festival appearances will know, this is not to be missed.

Children’ ticket price includes a copy of More Tales From Shakespeare (RRP £20) which will be given to you at the event.

CAROL DRINKWATER & LARRY LAMB

4pm • Town Hall £15 inc. glass of Laithwaites wine

Two beloved actors who excel on page and screen. Gavin & Stacey star Larry Lamb comes to Henley on a book tour that began in Billericay and ends on Barry Island. All Wrapped Up takes us behind the scenes of a Caribbean film set and who better to tell it than Larry, who made his movie debut in Superman ? Helen Herriot in the original All Creatures Great & Small , Carol Drinkwater is the bestselling author of 25 books; One Summer in Provence is a heartwarming novel set in the region where she now lives.

In a fast-changing world, it’s essential to evolve. But it’s also important to hold fast to what matters.

At Caldicott we specialise in nurturing bright young minds equipped with character, courage and compassion. Our boys are fundamentally prepared to pursue a future full of possibility, surrounded daily with inspiration, opportunity and fulfilment.

Caldicott delivers a first-class educational experience for boys that is built on timeless foundations, while fitting the demands of the modern world.

An education very much of its time and unmistakably Caldicott in its nature.

Caldicott Preparatory School for Boys

Register for our Open Morning on Saturday 11 October

PHIL TUFNELL

6pm • Marquee at Phyllis Court £24 book & ticket

The month before the 2025-26 Ashes begin in Perth, one of cricket’s biggest characters returns to Henley with his new book celebrating the players who have made the series what it is. Phil Tufnell played in five Ashes and has so far commentated on another 10. In the entertaining and opinionated Tuffers’ Ashes Heroes he provides affectionate, amusing portraits of 50 modern era legends, from England’s Ian Botham, Freddie Flintoff and Stuart Broad to Australia’s Merv Hughes, Shane Warne and Steve Smith.

Ticket price includes a copy of Tuffers’ Ashes Heroes (RRP £22) which will be given to you at the event.

DONNA ASHWORTH

6pm • Town Hall • £12.50

The country’s best-selling poet returns to Henley with a much-anticipated collection of her best-loved poems! Featuring 20 brand new poems alongside favourites like Joy Comes Back, Happy and Hope Floats, the beautifully colour-illustrated Joy Chose You offers comfort, love and light to our imperfect lives. Anyone who attended her previous Festival event will know that an hour with the author of Growing Brave, To the Women and Sunday Times No.1 Wild Hope is not to be missed.

Friday 7th November 2025

RICK STEIN

4pm • Christ Church • £30 book & ticket / £15 just ticket

In the week his first-ever festive food book is published, one of the nation’s mostrespected chefs comes back to Henley for a perfectly timed pop-up! Rick Stein ’s Christmas blends seasonal recipes with evocative memories. From mouthwatering mince pies and glazed ham to spice inspired by his travels and making magic with leftovers, the bestselling author, restaurateur and broadcaster shares what makes this time of year special to him and how food plays such a big part in our celebrations.

Book and ticket price includes a copy of Rick Stein’s Christmas (RRP £28) which will be given to you at the event.

JOHN CLEESE

6pm • Christ Church • £28 book & ticket

50 years after Fawlty Towers first hit the screen, John Cleese swaps Torquay for Henley in this special pop-up event. Having changed sketch comedy with Monty Python , he did the same for sitcoms, co-creating and co-starring with his then-wife Connie Booth. Now with the show also a West End hit, the Major, the moose, the mini and much more are all here as he tells the full story for the first time in Fawlty Towers: Fawlts & All . We may have run out of Waldorfs but we have a true comedic icon for you!

Ticket price includes a copy of Fawlty Towers: Fawlts & All (RRP £25) which will be given to you at the event.

© JAMES MURPHY

Friday 7th November 2025

MARINA WHEELER

12pm • Christ Church • £12.50

With the US proving an unstable partner amid global danger, Marina Wheeler argues it is time to admit Europe is central to Britain’s future. The noted human rights barrister, married to Boris Johnson for 25 years and in the room for many key Brexit discussions, likens the deal between the UK and EU to a court order in a divorce; it contains our bare legal obligations but ignores our wider obligations. She returns to Henley with A More Perfect Union , proposing something more radical than Labour’s planned reset: a roadmap towards a meaningful rapprochement.

Luxury Weddings Afloat

A unique and romantic venue for your special day or river transport to a riverside venue.

For your fairy-tale wedding with a picturesque river setting please contact us today.

For bookings and enquiries please contact Hobbs of Henley on 01491 572035 or boats@hobbsofhenley.co.uk

Headline Sponsor & Main Stage Sponsor

Fane connects you with the most exciting names in culture and entertainment. Whether it’s a book tour, live podcast, or engaging Q&A, Fane offers exclusive access to bestselling authors, cultural icons and emerging talent – in person and online. From intimate theatre settings to large-scale tours, we curate, produce, and promote live shows, bringing you closer to the people you love, and creating lasting experiences that tap into the conversations of the moment. Fane is trusted for its distinctive and dynamic programming, offering something for everyone. Highlights include Miriam Margolyes, Cher, Andy Murray, Trevor Noah, Dolly Alderton, Tom Hanks, Rebecca Yarros, Nigella Lawson, Candice Brathwaite, Rory Stewart, Dame Judi Dench, Bernie Sanders, Sir Grayson Perry, Margaret Atwood, and Alice Oseman. The current Fane line-up can be found at www.fane.co.uk or via our socials @FaneProductions.

Town Hall Stage Sponsor

Gower Cottage Brownies produce award-winning artisan Chocolate brownies, gift wrapped delivered to your door, described as “ the best brownies we’ve ever tasted ” by BBC Good Food Magazine. We’ve also added to our collection, Brownie Butter “Outrageous new product Gower Cottage Brownies has launched a range of brownie ‘butters’; their extremely good brownies in spreadable/pourable form”, Jay Rayner. www.gowercottagebrownies.co.uk

Children’s Festival Sponsor

Shiplake College is an independent co-educational boarding and day school just outside Henley-on-Thames, offering a holistic education to around 580 pupils from Years 7 to 13. Now almost fully co-educational, Shiplake continues to evolve as the school grows, not just in pure numbers, but in its ambition and aspiration. Flexi, weekly and full boarding is available from Year 9 and a vibrant boarding community enjoys a programme of evening and weekend activities. The setting overlooking the River Thames is beautiful and uplifting but it is the people who provide the magic and create Shiplake’s authentic and unique culture.

A community that focuses on kindness, personal bests and positive attitudes, the College celebrates its core values, known as the Three Is –Inclusive, Individual, Inspirational. www.shiplake.org.uk

Wine & Sparkling Wine Partner

Ever since Tony Laithwaite went to Bordeaux in the 60s, family and friendship has been central to our journey. We owe everything to the many growers and wine lovers we support and serve today. For over 50 years we’ve been delivering wine the right way – from the people who love making it to the people who love drinking it. We never overcomplicate things. By keeping it simple at every stage, we’ve been able to keep costs down and guarantee authenticity with every single bottle. www.laithwaites.co.uk

News Partner

The Independent has been at the front line of journalism since its launch in 1986, with its purpose to challenge and debate way ahead of its time. It has a huge readership of free-thinking individuals, who value its trusted, non-partisan voice and commitment to positive change. Publishing from 12 countries and in six languages, and with a network of global correspondents, The Independent is a truly international news organisation, with integrity, inclusion, innovation and independence as its guiding principles. www.independent.co.uk

Green Room Sponsor

HW Fisher is part of the Sumer Group, a top 15 UK accountancy practice with unparalleled experience advising professionals in the media and entertainment industries.

For over 50 years, we have supported authors across many genres and at different stages of their writing careers with all their tax needs. To find out more, visit www.hwfisher.co.uk , or contact Andrew Subramaniam.

With thanks for funding from

Venue Partner

18 acres of pristine grounds and gardens set against the banks of the River Thames, Phyllis Court is an exclusive private Members Club.

Sophisticated and renowned in equal measure, with luxury dining, worldclass service, and a rich legacy reaching back to 1906. www.phylliscourt.co.uk • 01491 570 500

Hotel Partner & Venue Partner

Celebrate the Henley Literary Festival in style at The Relais Henley, your go-to riverside escape on the banks of historic Henley-on-Thames. This charming 16th-century inn has now unveiled the hotly anticipated Henley Hideaway – a chic, sheltered courtyard offering relaxed alfresco vibes, stunning river views, and delicious bar snacks and grazing boards perfect for sharing. Sip signature cocktails from the pop-up Henley Gin and Double Dutch Bar, featuring a specially curated menu including the exclusive Henley Regatta Pimm’s Cup and the Pink Ribbon Cocktail, supporting this vital charity. Why not venture down to the water’s edge, too, with one of the specially made takeaway bags, ideal for transporting your refreshments to the riverbanks. Don’t miss your chance to WIN one of three luxury hampers in the Henley Hideaway competition. 20% discount on all room stays for the duration of the Festival for ticket holders. www.therelaishenley.com

Sponsor

Beckhoff is a pioneering technology company that specializes in automation solutions, with its UK roots planted firmly in Henley-on-Thames. Known for innovation, Beckhoff integrates advanced technologies to create smart systems that enhance efficiency and productivity across various sectors. Our cutting-edge solutions include PC-based control systems and IoT technologies, designed to streamline operations and facilitate intelligent automation. As a global leader, Beckhoff is committed to driving progress and supporting communities by contributing to local and international initiatives. We are proud to sponsor the Henley Literary Festival, celebrating creativity and community spirit in Henley, where our journey began. www.beckhoff.co.uk • info@beckhoff.co.uk • 01491 410 539

Just five minutes from charming Henley-on-Thames, Audley Shiplake Meadows is a luxury retirement village offering an elegant collection of beautifully designed cottages, apartments, and penthouses. Set in a picturesque location, owners can enjoy first-class amenities and exclusive access to the Audley Club with its state-of-the-art gym, wellness suite, lounge bar & bistro. Experience a vibrant and independent lifestyle in a tranquil yet well-connected setting, where comfort and community come together seamlessly. With 21 villages across the UK, Audley Villages offers independent living in luxury properties, featuring exquisite facilities in a beautiful and secure environment. Visit the website to find out more or book a private tour www.audleyvillages.co.uk/shiplake-henley • 01182 349278 shiplakesales@audleyvillages.co.uk

Sponsor Sponsor

We’re legal advisors with a difference, based in the UK and internationally as members of First Law International. Our advice goes beyond knowledge and expertise; it’s about understanding our clients deeply and listening to what matters most to them.

Our private client services team operates from offices in England and Wales, including London, Reading, and Newbury, offering expertise in Estate and Succession Planning, Wealth Protection, and Family Law. We specialise in trust and tax compliance, international tax, wills, trusts and estates disputes, attorney/deputy administration, property matters, and family law services. We collaborate with our business legal services colleagues to address all client needs.

We’re a full-service law firm. Visit our website www.irwinmitchell.com or contact Claire Filer, our Regional Lead Partner for the Thames Valley.

Festival Sponsors and Partners

WALKING UP A THIRST

What could be better than a walk in the countryside to get the blood pumping followed by a well-earned drink and a bite to eat in a fine public house? We've created a number of circular walks from each pub depending how much of a thirst you want to build up!

Our circular walks all start and end in one of our fabulous pubs, some nestled in the glorious countryside. We hope our maps are a great way for you to get out and enjoy some fresh air and a gentle walk, with a guaranteed drink at the end – perfect!

Download our free app and don't forget to book a table if you want to dine afterwards to avoid disappointment.

For those who don't have a Smartphone or choose not to use one, you can download our Walks here.

WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS OUR BOOK PARTNER

Henley Literary Festival works in partnership with The Bell Bookshop, Henley’s oldest independent bookshop specialising in children’s books for all ages, new and general fiction, classics, biographies, travel guides, history books, cookery books and more. The Bell Bookshop team sells copies for signing at the end of every event throughout the Festival, across all venues. Find out more by visiting the shop at 52 Bell Street, Henley-onThames RG9 2BL. See pg 90 for map.

WITH THANKS TO... PLATINUM

FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL

Sarah Blomfield, Tim Keown, Dianne Sayer, Colin Blears, Nick Dunlop, Jimmy Gordon, Margot Sutton, Robert Taylor, Alyson Warren, Nicholas Harrison, Tim Jones, Elizabeth Chadwick, Dr Giles Campion, Sarah Dowsett

GOLD FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL

Anne & John Luker, Mia Tritton, Jane Jackson, Sue Laing, Robert Weeks, Countess Sandra Macclesfield, Julian Brookes, Gaie Scouller, Maggie & John Mills, Christopher Laing, Dr Stella Heaton, Angela Mcnamee, Jane Franks, Dawn Sura, Susan Warwick, Patricia Buck, Hema Marshall, Merla McMenomy, Samantha Evans, Anne Collinson, Ruth Busby, Jo Harris, Jane Chesters, Susan Mills

The Henley Literary Festival Team

Harriet Reed-Ryan

Sue Ryan (Festival Founder)

Saskia Williams

Emma Seckel

Bryony Denton-Ross

Committee

Cindy Burrowes, Jon Ryan, Louise Hall and Virginia Van Zwanenberg

Special thanks to

Tom Ryan for writing the programme (and for his consistent support)

Louise Tait for graphic design

Robbie Everett, Matthew Golden and all the team at ITM

Connor Sharod-Southam at Emoji Media

Emma Pells, Samantha Bullingham, Jade Beveridge, Rosie Ings, Linda Clifford and Alexis Lane for managing our venues

Jane Chesters, Moira Bradley, Katie Jacoby and Monkey Chambers for looking after our authors

Sheridan Jacklin-Edward, Andrew Oxley, Chris Hogan and Samantha Grocock for their support with venues

Andy Viney at Top Hat Marquees

Scarlet Page – our Festival photographer and friend

Sarah Haynes for her work on the Festival over the last two years

James Churchill Coleman and his team for their support all year round

Matthew from Compass Accounting.

Sarah Jordan for distributing our Festival programmes across Henley

The brilliant Festival volunteers, and all the wonderful publicists

And finally… Emily Gravett for the front cover design

As of 19th June

EVENTS FOR SCHOOLS

Our 2025 school programme is running from Monday 6th October – Friday 10th October. The line-up features award-winning authors and illustrators Sathnam Sanghera, MC Grammar, Zanna Davidson, Dermot O’Leary, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Andy Day and Steven Lenton. All events will be live-streamed from the venue directly to classrooms and school halls for free. This means that schools from across the country can join in the fun too.

To find out more, please visit our website: https://www.henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk/2025-school-programme/

Thank you to Bloomsbury, Hawthornden and Fane for their support in making this programme happen.

Since 1984, Asquith’s has been a haven for teddy bear lovers, proudly standing as one of the world’s very first dedicated teddy bear shops.

Nestled in the heart of Henley, our charming Grade II listed home is just a short stroll from the picturesque River Thames.

Discover a magical collection of treasures, including timeless teddy bears from Steiff, Teddy Hermann, Merrythought, and Charlie Bears, alongside collectables from Maileg, stunning artist bears, and so much more.

more.

Pop in and say hello, the bears are very friendly !

At a glance...

Author Time Venue Pg

River Readings Tuesday 23 September

River Readings 10am, 12pm, 3pm Hibernia boarding at Hobbs Boatyard 6

Friday 3rd October

Joanna Lumley 6pm Marquee 7

Elizabeth Day 8pm Marquee 7

Saturday 4th October

Cressida Cowell: How to Train your Dragon School 10am Marquee 8

Dr Jack Mosley: Food Noise 10am Town Hall 8

Emma Vowles: The Style Chapter 12pm The Relais 8

Kaleb Cooper: Farmyard Tales 12pm Marquee 9

Helen Lewis: The Genius Myth 12pm Town Hall 9

Chris Smith: The New Famous Five 2pm Town Hall 11

Daniel Swift: The Making of Shakespeare 2pm The Relais 11

Mary Portas 4pm Marquee 12

Sangeeta Waldron & Tony Juniper 4pm Town Hall 12

Laura Henry-Allain: The Great Big Tidy Up 4pm The Relais 12

Ben Youngs 6pm Marquee 13

Ben Okri 6pm Town Hall 13

Martin Edwards’ Murder Mystery! 6pm The Relais 15

Martin O’Neill 8pm Town Hall 15

Michael Palin 8pm Marquee 15

Sunday 5th October

Gyles Brandreth 10am Marquee 16

Harriet Muncaster: The Diary of Wiska Wildflower 10am Town Hall 16

Master Storytellers Memoir Workshop 10am The Relais 16

Emily Gravett: Bear’s Nap 12pm Town Hall 17

Art Lessons: Kate Bryan & Nick Trend 12pm The Relais 17

Vanessa Beaumont & Carolyn Kirby 2pm The Relais 17

Alexander Armstrong: Evenfall 2pm Marquee 18

Hollie McNish & Salena Godden 2pm Town Hall 18

Ben Schott 4pm Town Hall 19

Emily Gravett: Illustration workshop 4pm The Relais 19

Stephen Cottrell: The Lord’s Prayer 4pm Marquee 19

Laithwaites Wine School 6pm & 8pm Town Hall 21

Headline Proof Party 6pm The Relais 21

Jay Rayner 8pm Marquee 21

Monday 6th October

Lady Hale 10am Town Hall 22

Tim Willasey-Wilsey 10am The Relais 22

Tristan Gooley 12:30pm Marquee 22

Anne Sebba: The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz 12:30pm Town Hall 23

Matt Ridley: Darwin’s Strangest Idea 12:30pm The Relais 23

Mary Beard 3pm Marquee 23

Lucy Easthope 3pm Town Hall 25

Lorna Gibb: Hidden Languages 3pm The Relais 25

Reverend Richard Coles 6pm Marquee 25

Colin Butfield: How to Save the Ocean 6pm Town Hall 26

Steve CrawshawThe battle for justice 6pm The Relais 27

Graham Fellows: John Shuttleworth 8pm Town Hall 27

Katherine Grainger’s Crime Night: Amanda Jennings, Kelly Mullen & Tom Hindle 8pm The Relais 27

Tuesday 7th October

Tracy Borman 10am Town Hall 28

Sinclair McKay 10am The Relais 28

Mark Kitto & Chris Coppel 12:30pm The Relais 28

Andrew Lownie 12:30pm Town Hall 29

Joanne Briggs: The Scientist Who Wasn’t There 3pm The Relais 29

Jo Hamilton: The Post Office Scandal 3pm Town Hall 29

Marcus Du Sautoy 6pm Town Hall 31

Alan Davies 6pm Marquee 31

Vaseem Khan: Q 6pm The Relais 31

Peter Frankopan 8pm Marquee 33

Jeremy Vine & Robert Thorogood 8pm Town Hall 33

Wednesday 8th October

Alan Johnson 10am Town Hall 34

Thant Myint-U: Peacemaker 12:30pm The Relais 34

Diana Henry: Food & Life 12:30pm Town Hall 34

Denise Lewis 12:30pm Marquee 35

Tony Robinson 3pm Town Hall 35

Michael Heseltine 3pm Marquee 37

CHILDREN’S EVENTS

Dan Hicks & Sunny Singh 3pm The Relais 37

Mick Herron 6pm Marquee 38

Julia Bradbury 6pm Town Hall 38

Alex Partridge: ADHD Chatter & Clarity 6pm The Relais 39

Cally Beaton & Suzi Ruffell 8pm The Relais 39

Irvine Welsh: Trainspotting Returns 8pm Town Hall 39

Thursday 9th October

Sarah Vine 10am Town Hall 40

Des Powell: My SAS 10am The Relais 40

Sue Campbell: Game Changer 12pm The Relais 40

Steve Richards & Iain Dale 12pm Town Hall 41

Edward Stourton 2pm Town Hall 41

Emma Vowles: The Style Chapter 2pm The Relais 41

Graham Brady 2pm Marquee 43

Jeremy Hunt 4pm Marquee 43

Sonia Purnell: Kingmaker 4pm Town Hall 44

Scyld Berry & Huw Turbervill 4pm The Relais 44

Raymond Blanc 6pm Marquee 44

Jonathan Freedland 6pm Town Hall 45

Martin Brunt 6pm The Relais 45

Mum’s Night Out: Dr Tara Porter & Holly Bourne 8pm The Relais 45

Simon Armitage 8pm Marquee 47

Hallie Rubenhold 8pm Town Hall 47

Proudly Supported by Henley Town Council

At a glance... CHILDREN’S EVENTS

Friday 10th October

Petroc Trelawny 10am Town Hall 48

Mr Men & Little Miss Storytime 10am & 10:45am The Relais 48

Sophia MoneyCoutts: Puppy Diaries 12pm The Relais 48

Jung Chang 12pm Marquee 49

Dan Jones: Lion Hearts 12pm Town Hall 49

Sathnam Sanghera 2pm Marquee 51

Simon Hart: Diaries of a Chief Whip 2pm Town Hall 51

Damian Barr & Tash Aw 2pm The Relais 51

Elif Shafak 4pm Marquee 52

Iain MacGregor 4pm Town Hall 52

Valentine Low 4pm The Relais 52

Graham Norton 6pm Marquee 53

Nigel Planer 6pm Town Hall 53

Gabriel Weston 6pm The Relais 55

Robin Ince 8pm The Relais 55

Joanna Page 8pm Marquee 57

Crime & Wine: Adele Parks, Ajay Chowdhury & Ruth Ware 8pm Town Hall 57

Saturday 11th October

Katy Ashworth: This That What 10am Town Hall 58

Vanessa Taylor: Seven Rivers 10am The Relais 58

Monisha Rajesh 12pm The Relais 59

Tweedy The Clown: The Clown Who Lost His Nose 12pm Marquee 59

Belles Berry & Mariella Frostrup 12pm Town Hall 59

Lucy Mangan, Sam Leith & Daisy Buchanan 2pm The Relais 60

Hugh Bonneville: Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room 2pm Marquee 60

Jimi Famurewa 2pm Town Hall 60 Countess of Carnarvon 4pm Marquee 61

Gill Hornby 4pm Town Hall 61

Athena Kugblenu: History’s Most Epic Fails 4pm The Relais 61

Oti Mabuse 6pm Town Hall 62 Anya Lautenbach & Kathy Slack 6pm The Relais 62

Mary Berry 6pm Marquee 63

Penny Lancaster 8pm Town Hall 63

Sunday 12th October

David Suchet 10am Marquee 64

Sandra Parsons 10am The Relais 64

Book Club: Emma Gannon, Esther Freud, Nussaibah Younis & Roisin O’Donnell 12pm The Relais 64

Tim Spector 12pm Marquee 65

Jodie Ounsley: Fun With Fury! 12pm Town Hall 65

Judy Murray 2pm Marquee 67

Donna Ashworth: Words Can Fly 2pm Town Hall 67

Carolyn Mayling 4pm The Relais 67

Michael Morpurgo: More Tales From Shakespeare 4pm Marquee 69

Carol Drinkwater & Larry Lamb 4pm Town Hall 69

Phil Tufnell 6pm Marquee 71

Donna Ashworth 6pm Town Hall 71

Pop Up Events Friday 7th November

Rick Stein 4pm Christ Church 73

John Cleese 6pm Christ Church 73

30 Duke St, RG9 1UP www.thedukehenley.co.uk 01491 526844

Cote Brasserie 2-4 Bell Street, RG9 2BG www.cote.co.uk/restaurant/ henley-on-thames 01494 508520

Coppa

49-51 Bell St, RG9 2BG www.coppaclub.co.uk/henley 01491 525 879