Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival|
Foreword
I’d like to extend a very warm welcome to the 2025 TW Literary Festival, our fourth in as many years, offering up a wonderful celebration of stories, and a great day out thanks to our iconic cultural venues, lovely green spaces, and enviable array of shops and restaurants.
Across the week, in over 50 events, famous faces abound, alongside a showcase of poets, artists, activists, opinion formers. new and local talent. As well there are literary lunches, walks, music, theatre, comedy shows and workshops, all highlighting the cultural vibrancy of Tunbridge Wells. We are also proud to partner with Word Up! whose amazing local spoken word artists will be reading specially written poems before many of the events!
This year we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of cherished English novelist Jane Austen, whose work has directly inspired many of this year’s featured events: Traditionalists can join Lucy Worsley as she discusses Jane Austen at Home, or enjoy the hilarious West End hit Austentatious, while those seeking new interpretations can experience This Motherless Land, award-winner Nikki May’s powerful decolonial retelling of Mansfield Park.
Women’s perspectives are another powerful emerging theme, with Shaparak Khorsandi, Her Honor Wendy Joseph KC, Lorna Tucker, Harriet Wistrich, Suzie Miller and so many more tackling everything from neurodiversity and inspiration to justice and the ever-present patriarchy.
Our new relationship with The British Library brings their touring exhibition Unearthed: The Power of Gardening to Tunbridge Wells, and has brought sustainability and wellbeing to the fore, exploring how gardening impacts people, communities and the environment.
We’re also shining a spotlight on the writing behind Tabletop Roleplaying Games, particularly the rich fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons , with artist-led workshops and Forum Theatre designed to actively inspire participation and creativity amongst our young people.
None of this could be done without the support of our wonderful sponsors: Berry & Lamberts Solicitors, who have been with us from the start, Maxipay Accountants , who are firm supporters of Tunbridge Wells culture, and our new friends at Town Square. Also thanks to Festival Friends Thrive Living and RBC Brewin Dolphin. Their exceptional generosity helps us to bring the festival to you at accessible prices.
Waterstones, our ever-faithful book partners, are back, joined this year by Station Books, a new independent bookstore in the town. RTWT and Visit Tunbridge Wells are also on board once more.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS MADE THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL POSSIBLE! AND TO YOU FOR COMING ALONG.
Carole Winter Producer and Curator - Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival
How to access the event
All our events are listed in this guide, with colour-coded indicators which will tell you which genre the event covers, when and where you can find it.
You can book tickets via twlitfest.co.uk or via the QR code.
If you have any queries about tickets, accessibility or would prefer to book over the phone, please call 01892 554441.
Many of our events will be recorded, details of these events will be published online and you can pay to access the recordings.
10% discounts are available for library card holders: to get your library card discount, book over the phone or in-person at The Amelia Scott. We are also offering 6 tickets for the price of 5! This discount will automatically apply when you purchase your tickets.
GoCard members are also eligible for discounted tickets.
Making a weekend of it? For information on accommodation, food and other events in the borough of Tunbridge Wells, check out visittunbridgewells.co.uk
Monday 5 May
Wellbeing/Factual
Meet at Waterstones
Monday 5 May 2pm
Duncan Minshull Globetrotting: Writers
Walk the World
Enjoy a stroll on Tunbridge Wells Common/ Calverley Grounds with Duncan Minshull, editor of Globetrotting: Writers Walk the World. Take in the lovely views and listen to Duncan read extracts from his latest book about the writers who have traversed every continent from the 1500s to the present day. And en route Duncan will be asking his fellow footers about the joys of pedestrian travel. Why do you go walking?
Book signing There was nowhere to go but everywhere –Jack Kerouac
Factual
Assembly Hall Theatre
Monday 5 May
7.30pm
Duncan Minshull is a freelance audio producer and anthologist, and formerly a senior producer at BBC Radio where he commissioned and produced ‘Book Of The Week’, ‘Book at Bedtime’, ‘The Essay’, and ‘Short Story’. Globetrotting is his recent book on walking.
Lucy Worsley
Jane Austen at Home
Following her sold-out Agatha Christie tour, acclaimed historian Lucy Worsley leads us into the life of one of English literature's most cherished figures.
For this live, beautifully-illustrated talk, Lucy invites audiences to step into the world of Jane Austen, the beloved author of timeless classics such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion.
Lucy Worsley is a historian, presenter, author and curator. As well as Jane Austen at Home, her books include If Walls Could Talk, A Very British Murder and her recent best-selling biography of Agatha Christie.
A refreshingly unique perspective on Austen and her work and a beautifully nuanced exploration of gender, creativity, and domesticity - Amanda Foreman
Monday 5 May
Shaparak Khorsandi and Robin Ince
Scatter Brain and Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal
Tunbridge Wells brings together two neurodivergent powerhouses of comedy – Robin Ince and Shappi Khorsandi -to discuss their books about brains: Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal and Scatter Brain. Shappi and Robin will share their experiences looking at life through the ADHD lens, exploring both similarities and differences of living a life out of control.
You need Robin in your life
- Natalie Haynes
Shappi Khorsandi is a comedian who has appeared on countless TV & Radio shows. Her books include her memoir A Beginner's Guide To Acting English, Kissing Emma and Nina is Not OK
Robin Ince is a comedian, actor and writer, who has written books on neurodiversity and mental health, and is well-known for the Radio 4 programme The Infinite Monkey Cage, which he presents with Professor Brian Cox.
Hilarious,
unflinching, wise -Sara Pascoe
Wellbeing/Comedy
Amelia, Atrium
Monday 5 May 7pm
Book signing Signed by Emma Isted
Tunbridge Wells
Tuesday 6 May
Lex Croucher Reputation
The author of award-winning YA novel Gwen and Art are Not in Love comes to Tunbridge Wells to share their top tips on creating compelling, complex queer characters for modern audiences in historical settings. In celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, we’ll be focusing on Lex’s Reputation series: Regency romances with a twist.
Book signing
Lex Croucher (they/them) grew up in Surrey, reading a lot of books and making friends with strangers on the internet, and now lives in London. With a background in social media and NGOs, Lex now writes historical-ish rom-coms and fantasy for both adults and teenagers. They are the Nero Award-shortlisted, New York Times, Indie & USA Today bestselling author of Gwen and Art are Not in Love, which won the YA Book Prize 2024.
If Bridgerton and Fleabag had a book baby, it would be Reputation. I inhaled it in one sitting -Sarra Manning
Personalised financial planning and investment management.
Contact our Royal Tunbridge Wells office to arrange an introductory meeting with Louise Shaw.
Call 01892 739580 or email louise.shaw@brewin.co.uk brewin.co.uk
Martin Clunes
Interviewed by
Gaby
Huddart Meetings With Remarkable Animals
Join Martin Clunes as he discusses Meetings With Remarkable Animals , a fascinating, moving account of the astonishing ways animals have enriched our lives. From search and rescue dogs to mine-sniffing rats, these stories will charm, surprise and astonish in equal measure.
Together with his own life-changing encounters with animals around the world, Martin celebrates some truly extraordinary creatures whose lives have been entwined with our own. This promises to be a heartwarming and inspiring talk from one of tv’s most loved personalities.
Martin Clunes has been a familiar face on our television screens since the 1990s. Alongside hit shows like Men Behaving Badly and Doc Martin, he has presented documentaries from around the world including Lemurs of Madagascar, Islands of the Pacific and A Dog Called Laura. He was awarded the OBE in 2015 for his contribution to drama, charity and the community in Dorset where he lives with his family and lots of animals.
Gaby Huddart is a celebrity interviewer, event host, speaker and columnist. She contributes regularly to The Times and Daily Telegraph, as well as many glossy magazines, including Good Housekeeping, of which she is the former editor-inchief. Gaby is current holder of the British Society of Magazine Editors prestigious Mark Boxer Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to magazine journalism. She recently joined the board of the National Literacy Trust, of which she is a passionate supporter, and she is also a long-standing patron of the Women’s Prize.
Thursday 8 May
Music/Memoir/Travel
Amelia, Upper Atrium
Thursday 8 May 4pm
Book signing
John Suchet
In Search of Beethoven: A Personal Journey
From the bestselling author of Beethoven: The Man Revealed, In Search of Beethoven is John Suchet’s latest and most personal book dedicated to the life of this extraordinary composer. Part biography, part memoir and part travelogue, John discusses how Beethoven has accompanied him through the best and worst of times both as a foreign correspondent and news anchor.
An avid music lover, John Suchet is best known as one of the UK’s most popular TV reporters and newscasters. He continues to present special series on Classic FM.
Classical pianist Alex Metcalfe will treat audience members before and after the talk to a live recital of Beethoven’s music including the early Sonata in C, Op.2/3 and the Waldstein Sonata.
Crime fiction/Thriller
Amelia, Atrium
Thursday 8 May 7pm
Book signing
Chris Chibnall
Interviewed by Hannah Griffiths Death at the White Hart
The first novel from the creator of Broadchurch, Death at the White Hart has already been commissioned for an ITV adaptation. The novel takes us to the Dorset village of Fleetcombe: the last place you’d expect a grisly murder. A body is discovered, tied to a chair in the middle of a nearby road, a stag’s antlers on his head. The victim is soon identified: Jim Tiernan, landlord of the White Hart pub. Detective Nicola Bridge is not short of suspects: in a small village, the pub landlord knows everyone’s business. And beneath the idyllic surface, the residents of Fleetcombe have plenty they want to keep hidden.
Chris Chibnall is an award-winning screenwriter, executive producer, and playwright whose work has been seen, translated and remade all around the world. His television work includes Broadchurch, The Great Train Robbery, Doctor Who, Torchwood and Life on Mars. Death at the White Hart is his debut novel. Hannah Griffiths worked in publishing for twenty years— as an agent then an editor. She now works as a book to screen scout for superindie, Banijay UK.
Richard Ayoade
The Unfinished Harauld Hughes
Richard Ayoade will discuss his (fictional) quest to rescue Harauld Hughes – the almost mythical midcentury playwright – from obscurity.
The gifted filmmaker, corduroy activist and amateur dentist, Richard Ayoade, first chanced upon a copy of The Two-Hander Trilogy by Harauld Hughes in a second-hand bookshop. At first startled by his uncanny resemblance to the author’s photo, he opened the volume and was electrified. Terse, aggressive, and elliptical, what was true of Ayoade was also true of Hughes’s writing, which encompassed stage, screen, and some of the shortest poems ever published. Ayoade embarked on a documentary, The Unfinished Harauld Hughes, to understand the unfathomable collapse of Hughes’s final film O Bedlam! O Bedlam!, taking us deep inside the mind of the most furious British writer since the Boer War.
So funny -Nabokov meets
Spinal Tap - Stephen Merchant
Comedy/Fiction
Assembly Hall Theatre
Thursday 8 May
7.30pm
Book signing
Richard will discuss the story of that quest
Richard Ayoade is a writer and director. He directed and co-wrote Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, and adapted Joe Dunthorne’s novel Submarine for the screen, co-writing with Avi Korine. As an actor he is best known for portraying Dean Learner in Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and Maurice Moss in the Emmy Award-winning The IT Crowd.
Thursday 8 May
Factual
Trinity Theatre
Thursday 8 May
7pm
Book signing
Charlie English
The CIA Book Club
In this talk, Charlie English will relay the true story of spycraft, smuggling and secret printing operations as researched for his excellent book The CIA Book Club, highlighting the work of a handful of extraordinary people who risked their lives to stand up to the intellectual straitjacket Stalin created. George Minden, the head of a covert intelligence operation known as the ‘CIA books programme’, aimed to win the Cold War with literature. From its Manhattan headquarters, Minden’s global CIA ‘book club’ would infiltrate millions of banned titles into the Eastern Bloc. Volumes were smuggled on trucks and aboard yachts, dropped from balloons, and hidden in the luggage of hundreds of thousands of individual travellers. By the late 1980s, illicit literature in Poland was so pervasive that the system of communist censorship broke down, and the Iron Curtain soon followed.
Charlie English is the former head of international news at the Guardian. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he is the author of several widely acclaimed histories including The Snow Tourist, The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu and The Gallery of Miracles and Madness.
Friday 9 May
Peach Morris
Learning to Fall
In a YA debut set in the world of roller derby, perfect for fans of Whip It and Heartstopper, author Peach Morris brings us a comingof-age romance with heartache and bodyslamming to boot.
The TW Lit Festival is proud to host Peach Morris (they/them) as our first influencer and TikTok sensation whose book has been picked up because of their popularity on BookTok and relevance to a youth audience. Peach Morris is a queer, disabled writer living in Bristol, UK. Peach has been skating and officiating since 2011 for various roller derby teams, and co-founded and coached the B-Town Brawlers from 2014 to 2018. They were the writer in residence at Trans Pride Brighton, and had a short story, “Pivot,” published in For Books’ Sake’s Derby Shorts. Learning to Fall is their first novel. YA, Romance/ Contemporary fiction Amelia, Green Room
Friday 9 May 5pm Book signing
Friday 9 May
Lorna Tucker
Interviewed by Sam Parker Bare
"I have lived in London's piss-soaked streets, I have lived with the sweet embrace of heroin, I have lived when I should have died. I have lied, I have thieved, I have stripped, I have tricked, I have loved, I have fallen, I have survived. I could be your daughter, your mother, your lover - I could be you. Come to hell and back with me."
Bare is an eye-opening, personal account of female homelessness, from one of Britain's most exciting film-makers, Lorna Tucker. Lorna Tucker is an artist, writer and filmmaker, who has secured her place as one of the most exciting documentary directors working today, known for tackling big social themes with humour, ease and grace. Sam Parker is Digital Director of British GQ, where he also co-leads on events such as GQ Heroes and GQ Men of the Year. His first book, Good Anger: How Rethinking Rage Can Change Our Lives, is out with Bloomsbury in 2025.
Memoir, Factual
Amelia, Atrium
Friday 9 May
5.30pm
Book signing You need to read this book -Mick Jagger
James Canton and Kate Bradbury
Renaturing and One Garden Against the World
These two passionate gardeners, experts in their fields, will discuss their respective books in the context of climate change, and the importance of caring for our environment. Renaturing is the story of how, over a number of years, James Canton undertook a project to ‘rewild’ the field behind his home: digging a pond, forging meadowlands, creating habitats for birds and insects, encouraging flowers and plants that support pollinators and wildlife. Eventually what was once just a grassy space was again buzzing with life.
In One Garden Against the World, wildlife gardening expert Kate Bradbury rallies us all in the fight against climate change and habitat loss by urging us to connect to the natural world via the spaces outside our back door.
Gardening/Climate change
Amelia, Courtyard
Friday 9 May
6pm
Kate Bradbury is an award-winning writer specialising in wildlife gardening. As well as her writing, Kate also presents on TV: she and her garden have featured on BBC’s Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Gardeners’ World. Dr James Canton is Director of Wild Writing at the University of Essex. He has written for the Guardian, reviews for the TLS and Caught by the River, and is a regular on television and radio.
Book signing
Friday 9 May
Factual
Amelia, Green Room
Friday 9 May
7pm
Book signing
Fiona Vera Gray
Interviewed by Jill Ruddock Women on Porn
This powerful and extraordinary book about women and pornography has arisen as the result of interviews with 100 women. How they first encountered it. How they consume it. How it has affected their sex lives. What they like and what they don't. And what it means for their relationships. Dr Fiona Vera-Gray is one of the UK's leading feminist academics working on sexual violence and she has a decade's experience in the frontline anti-violence against women movement.
Jill Ruddock is a Trustee and Vice Chair of DAVSS (Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Services). She is also a member of the local Soroptimists group, an international organisation with consultative status at the UN which seeks to improve the lives of women and girls through campaigning and practical action.
Comedy/Climate Change
Trinity Theatre
Friday 9 May
7pm
Book signing
Matt Winning
Hot Mess
Why does the end of the world need to be so depressing?
Hot Mess lightens the mood and enlightens readers on climate change.
It answers questions like ‘Are We Screwed?’ and ‘What Can I Do About It?’ and explains why we’re playing the world’s worst Choose Your Own Adventure.
A favourite at the Edinburgh Fringe, Matt asks why we are fighting to save proper big chips, and how, to solve climate change, we need actual snakes on a plane and a new reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ Plans for Loft Insulation.
Dr Matt Winning is a stand-up comedian and environmental economist with a PhD in climate change policy, which means he’s the sort of doctor who will rush to your side if you fall ill on a plane, but only to berate you for flying.
Hot Mess provides loads of laughs about "the climate situation" and will position you at the right point between fear and determination -Mark Watson
Friday 9 May
Austentatious
From the West End to the woods, Austentatious comes to you on a strictly limited tour. For a delightful evening, the all-star Austentatious cast will improvise a hilarious new Jane Austen novel, inspired entirely by a title from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, it’s a riotous, razor-sharp show where swooning is guaranteed. The revolving Austentatious cast includes numerous awardwinning TV and Radio starring performers, including Cariad Lloyd (QI, Inside No.9, Griefcast, The Witchfinder), Joseph Morpurgo (Radio 4, Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee), Rachel Parris (The Mash Report, Live at the Apollo), Graham Dickson (After Life, The Witchfinder) and more.
Comedy
Assembly Hall Theatre Friday 9 May 7.30pm
Saturday 10 May
Local Writers' Book Fair
30 local writers will be popping up in Royal Victoria Place to sell copies of their books and chat about their work.
During the day some of the writers will also be reading excerpts of their work in the concourse area of RVP (outside M&S food hall). This part of the festival is a free drop-in event; the schedule of authors giving readings will be displayed on the day.
Please come along and support our local writers as they share their original stories and ideas.
Multiple genres
Pop-in, Pop-up space in Royal Victoria Place Saturday 10 May 11am–3pm Book signings
Saturday 10 May
New Science/ sustainability
Amelia, Atrium
Saturday 10 May
11.30am
Book signing
Factual
Town Hall, Council Chamber
Saturday 10 May
12pm
Book signing
Gaia Vince and Tim Minshall
Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World, and Your Life is Manufactured
In a discussion of the climate crisis, migration and manufacturing, science writer and broadcaster Gaia Vince will be in conversation with Cambridge Professor of Innovation Tim Minshall.
Gaia Vince is a science writer, broadcaster and Anthropocene researcher exploring the interplay between human systems and the planetary environment. Her latest book, Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World, explores global migration and planetary restoration in a radical call to arms.
Tim Minshall is the Professor of Innovation at the University of Cambridge, the head of the Engineering Department’s Institute for Manufacturing, a fellow of Churchill College, and the author of Your Life is Manufactured: How We Make Things, Why It Matters and How We Can Do It Better. His research, teaching and outreach are focused on the links between manufacturing and innovation.
Neil Lawrence
The Atomic Human: Understanding Ourselves in the Age of AI
The current “debate” about human vs AI ‘intelligence’ is a massive over-simplification of what is going on. We need to understand the profound difference between human and machine intelligence. In The Atomic Human: Understanding Ourselves in the Age of AI, world AI expert Neil Lawrence will share why he believes our fears of being displaced by AI might be misplaced. Neil Lawrence is the DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge where he leads the university-wide initiative on AI, and a Senior AI Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute.
Whatever AI becomes… it will never replicate or penetrate the essence of what it means to be human. - Matthew Syed
Saturday 10 May
Abi Daré
And So I Roar
Raised in Lagos, Abi Daré is an awardwinning author whose second novel And So I Roar is already an international bestseller and has been shortlisted for the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize, which promotes the best fiction engaging with the climate crisis. Her novels are a charming, unflinching depiction of the challenges young women in Nigera experience. Her protagonist Adunni is a determined girl who has fled arranged marriage in pursuit of education, freedom and a better life.
Abi Daré is the author of The Girl with the Louding Voice, which was a New York Times bestseller, a #ReadWithJenna Today Show book club pick, and an Indie Next Pick. She grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and went on to study law at the University of Wolverhampton and has an MSc in International Project Management from Glasgow University as well as an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London.
Alan Edwards
I Was There
Interviewed by Sarah Gosling
Alan Edwards, the godfather of British music PR, has worked with some of the most legendary artists of our time, from David Bowie to the Spice Girls via the Rolling Stones, the Stranglers, Prince and Amy Winehouse.
Radio X DJ Sarah Gosling will take us on an absorbing discussion with Alan, covering his wild and wonderful life in music and PR, with some great stories from the punk era to the pop world of the Spice Girls.
Amelia, Green Room
Saturday 10 May 12pm
Book signing
A novelist of great power, wit, and invention -Elizabeth Gilbert
Factual/Music Forum
Saturday 10 May 12pm
Book signing
Alan Edwards is the founder of public relations agency the Outside Organisation, which has represented some of the biggest music stars on the planet, corporations and brands, government, royalty, celebrities, charities, events and sports legends. In 2017, he became the third-ever inductee into PR Week's Hall of Fame and he has been named the magazine's number one entertainment PR for an unprecedented ten years running.
Sarah Gosling provides the perfect playlist live on Radio X Monday to Thursday 10pm to 1am; Sundays 10pm.
Literary Fiction
Saturday 10 May
Gardening
Amelia, Courtyard
Saturday 10 May 1pm
Book signing
Martha Swales Give it a Grow
Martha Swales is an avid gardener who has become a viral sensation with her ideas on how much fun gardening can be. Opening up a delightfully new conversation about gardening for beginners, she will offer tips and fresh alternatives to growing veg, fruit, flowers and nurturing wildlife in your garden, patio or window sill.
Martha's first book is a beginner's guide that shows how fun and easy it can be to grow your own slice of nature.
Offering a fresh alternative to the overcomplicated gardening books on the market, this book is perfect for urban readers in their 30's and 40's and shows just how fun gardening can be when you Give it a Grow.
A truly inspiring book - Nigella Lawson
A TV producer and director specialising in food, Martha regularly shares her cooking and cultivating tips on social media with millions of people around the world. She shares her little London garden with her housemate Charlie and their rescue cat Mo. Give it a Grow is her first book.
Factual, Music Forum
Saturday 10 May 2pm
Book signing
Giles Smith
My My! Abba Through the Ages
Interviewer: Sarah Gosling
This year is the fiftieth anniversary of Waterloo (the song, not the battle) – a seminal moment in pop history which saw Swedish sensation ABBA burst on to the international music scene. How is it that half a century later this seventies Eurovision act is bigger than ever – reaching listeners of all ages and spinning off into musicals, museums and holograms? In My My! Abba Through the Ages, Giles Smith, writer and music fan, sets out to find out why. Giles will takes us on a journey of discovery about what makes Abba more popular than ever.
Giles Smith is the author of the pop memoir Lost in Music. His writing has appeared in numerous British publications and in The New Yorker. He has published two collections of journalism and, in the last ten years, he has been the ghost-writer for eight Sunday Times bestselling autobiographies.
Saturday 10 May
Harry Whittaker and Rhianna Pratchett
Creative legacies
Growing up with a famous author for a parent: what’s that like?
Terry Pratchett and Lucinda Riley are two late icons of literature who have left behind huge legacies. Rhianna Pratchett and Harry Whittaker are continuing their parents’ storytelling careers through videogames, improvised comedy, radio and of course the written word. Meeting for the first time in this iconic conversation, we will find out how being raised by a creative parent inspired these two creators to build their own careers.
Join us for a fascinating Q&A in the RVP’s Little Vic Theatre situated on the first floor, next to HMV.
Maff Potts
Friends and Purpose
With Ryan Hopkins and interviewed by Bob Willard Watts
The Camerados movement founder Maff Potts will discuss Friends and Purpose with Bob Willard Watts, followed by a wider discussion on social interactions, human connections and wellbeing, with Ryan Hopkins, a global thought leader and transformative speaker dedicated to revolutionising workplace wellbeing.
Creative Legacies
Little Vic Theatre, RVP
Saturday 10 May
2.30pm
Book signing 14+ Age recommendation
Wellbeing
Amelia, Atrium
Maff Potts has spent 30 years working and volunteering in the social justice sector. Maff left traditional forms of social change in 2015 when he started the social movement Camerados in his bedroom. As of January 2025 there are 260 Public Living Rooms in 6 countries worldwide, in libraries, hospitals, parks, community centres-wherever the community can find space and a sofa or two.
Saturday 10 May
2.30pm
Book signing
Ryan Hopkins is a leading wellbeing expert who specializes in improving mental health, productivity and happiness at work. He is author of 52 Weeks of Wellbeing, A no nonsense guide to a fulfilling Worklife and Chief Impact Officer at JAAQ, which stands for Just Ask A Question, a new mental health platform designed to give the right information from the right people.
Saturday 10 May
Factual
Town Hall, Council Chamber
Saturday 10 May
2.30pm
Book signing
Simon Jenkins A Short History of British Architecture: From
Stonehenge to the Shard
The story of Britain is revealed through its buildings, and yet the language of architecture is a mystery to all but a few. Former editor of The Times and leading conservationist Simon Jenkins will take us through the various characters who shaped Britain. In a fascinating talk he will endeavour to teach us to see the world anew, and demystify the elitist language of architecture helping us to really appreciate the buildings around us.
Simon Jenkins is author of the bestselling A Short History of Europe, Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations, England's Thousand Best Churches and England's Thousand Best Houses.
Literary Fiction
Town Hall, Council Chamber
Saturday 10 May
4.30pm
Book signing
Nikki May
Provocative, elegant, intriguing - Jenkins is a bold, imaginative writer, brilliant at challenging old assumptions and encouraging you to look at British architecture in a new light -Rory Stewart
This Motherless Land
This Motherless Land is a de-colonial retelling of Mansfield Park, exploring identity, culture, race, and love, following Funke as she navigates life in England after her mother's death, struggling to fit in while grappling with the past and family history. It is a witty, warm and hugely entertaining story about love and how it can make a difference between surviving and thriving.
Born in Bristol, raised in Lagos, Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian. Her debut novel Wahala won the Comedy Women in Print New Voice Prize, was shortlisted for the Diverse Book Award and the Fingerprint Debut of the Year Award, and longlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award.
This Motherless Land is a story about love and how it can make the difference between surviving and thriving.
Tugs at the heartstrings
- Damilare Kuku, author of Nearly all the Men in Lagos are Mad
Saturday 10 May
Louise Minchin
Isolation Island
Interviewer: Gaby Huddart
Louise Minchin is most famous for her twenty-year stint on BBC Breakfast's red sofa. She is now a presenter of Rip Off Britain on BBC One. Louise has written two non-fiction titles, Dare to Tri and Fearless, and she was Chair of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023. Isolation Island is her debut novel.
Isolation Island is a page-turning thriller about a reality show set on a remote Scottish Island. Gaby will lead a conversation with Louise about how she has moved from non-fiction writing to penning a brilliant psychological thriller.
Sarah Raven
A Year Full of Pots
Interviewer: Gaby Huddart
A terrific opportunity to learn from the brilliant and legendary gardener, Sarah Raven, who in conversation with Gaby will talk about her new book A Year Full of Pots, and discuss the design principles that can work on any scale, from one pot to a garden full of containers.
Sarah Raven, writer, cook, broadcaster and teacher, is the expert on all things to grow, cut and eat from your garden. Her book Sarah Raven’s Garden Cookbook won the prestigious Guild of Food Writers Cookery Book of the Year 2008. She is currently working on a book called Sarah Raven’s Cookery Year.
Agatha Christie, with a thrilling modern twist -Daily Mail
Amelia, Atrium
Saturday 10 May
4.30pm
Book signing
Sunday 11 May
Stunning pictures and packed full of really good advice and inspiration
-Monty Don
Gardening
Amelia, Atrium
Sunday 11 May 11am
Book signing
Crime Fiction/Thriller
Sunday 11 May
Let's Play D&D
Daniel Huckfield
Ever wanted to play Dungeons & Dragons but don’t know where to start? This is your chance to dive into the world of epic adventures! Our expert guides will teach you the basics of this legendary roleplaying game—perfect for complete beginners.
Suitable for ages 14+ (all under 16s must be accompanied by an adult).Please bring along a tablet/laptop or smart phone. Spaces are limited so to secure your spot or for more details, email daniel.huckfield@tunbridgewells.gov.uk. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable day of adventure!
Kelly Anne Wills Illustration Workshops
Learn to draw all sorts of fabulous fantasy creatures and characters with Artist Kelly-Anne Wills! From knights and wizards to devils and dragons, these wonderful 1-Hr workshops will cover all you need to know about bringing these iconic fantasy figures to life!
Nicci French
In conversation with debut novelist Jenny Morris (An Ethical Guide to Murder)
Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing partnership of journalists Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. Join them to discuss crafting bestselling psychological thrillers that have had readers hooked for decades. This event will be a retrospective looking back on their work together so far, what makes a good thriller and what is coming next. Nicci Gerrard and Sean French write seamless novels while pursuing their own writing careers, and raising a family of four young children in Suffolk. Their novels include The Memory Game, The Safe House, Killing Me Softly, Beneath the Skin and The Red Room.
Jenny Morris lives in Crowborough, the home of Winnie the Pooh. She loves a moral dilemma, and writes high-concept crime novels that explore deep philosophical questions like, ‘How much would I have to pay you to eat a human toe?’
She has a PhD in Cognitive Psychology and works as a Behavioural Scientist. When not reading or writing, she enjoys galloping around the Ashdown Forest on a horse, foraging for mushrooms, and getting way too intense about board games at the pub.
Ravena Guron, Wren
James, Busayo
Matuluko
YA Crime/Thriller Panel
This YA thriller panel brings together Busayo Matuluko, Wren James and Ravena Guron – all icons of the YA thriller genre, to discuss the ins and outs of creating thrillers for a youth audience.
Wren (Lauren) James (they/them) is the twice Carnegie-nominated author of Green Rising; The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker; The Quiet at the End of the World; The Loneliest Girl in the Universe; and The Next Together series. They have been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and the STEAM Children's Book Award.
Ravena Guron is the bestselling author of YA thrillers This Book Kills, Catch Your Death and Mondays Are Murder. Ravena's bestselling YA thrillers have been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize, the British Book Awards' Children's Fiction Book of the Year and many more.
Busayo Matuluko is a Black British Nigerian nurse and YA/Crossover writer. She is also an extremely opinionated award-nominated BookToker who loves talking about her favourite diverse books. ‘Til Death is her debut novel.
Sunday 11 May
YA, Thriller, Crime Amelia, Greenroom/ Activity space Sunday 11 May 12pm Book signing 14+ Age recommendation
Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival|23
Sunday 11 May
Poetry
Assembly Hall Theatre
Sunday 11 May
12pm
Book signing
Simon Armitage Dwell
Join Simon Armitage to celebrate his new illustrated poetry collection Dwell, inspired by the Lost Gardens of Heligan, an ambitious restoration project where history and mystery combine. The reawakened landscape with its woods, meadows and 'jungle' offers a bustling, fertile realm for all sorts of creatures to inhabit.
Dwell warns of the fragility of these spaces and their dwellers, exposed to relentless and sadly familiar environmental threats.
Just as a garden provides refuge for wildlife, these intricate poems offer lasting homes to those who dwell within their lines.
This unmissable afternoon will feature screen projections of the book’s glorious artwork by Cornish print-maker Beth Munro alongside the poetry readings, followed by a Q&A and book signing.
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry and has received an Ivor Novello award for his song-writing.
Cookery
Essence, The Pantiles
Sunday 11 May
12.30–2.30pm
Book signing
Literary Lunch
Atul Kochhar
A fine dining experience including a threecourse meal, a welcome drink, and Q&A with Atul Kochhar, with copy of 30 Minute Curries £49.95 (£35 excluding book).
A rare opportunity to sample delicious food cooked by Atul Kochhar, the pioneering, twice Michelin-starred chef who has changed the way people perceive and experience Indian cuisine. The lunch will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.
Curry is the nation’s favourite dish, but too often it can seem daunting to attempt at home. During the specially prepared 3 course meal, Atul will show you how to create simple, beautiful curries at home in just 30 minutes – transforming the boring weeknight dinner!
Atul Kochhar is one of the finest Indian chefs in the country, renowned for the vibrancy of his food and the subtlety of his spice mixes. He was one of the first Indian chefs to be awarded a Michelin star.
Sunday 11 May
Young Company Forum Theatre
The Literary Festival is encouraging young people to explore creativity with purpose through two events investigating youth homelessness; inspired by Lorna Tucker’s book ‘Bare’.
Young people can get involved in a theatrical debate through our Young Company’s forum theatre workshop. Forum Theatre explores issues through collaboration with the audience. Following an initial performance, the audience can suggest alternative options for how the protagonist could have acted: experiences and ideas are explored to generate solidarity and empowerment. You do not need to have had experience of homelessness or forum theatre to take part. The subject matter of the workshop may be challenging, so an open mind and empathy will be essential. Find out how theatre really can make a difference.
Word Up
A sister workshop for aspiring writers and poets, Word Up is a spoken word workshop for young adults with an interest in changing the world. Word Up has a mission to make all voices heard through spoken word and welcomes new members.
Political Satire
Trinity Theatre
Sunday 11 May 2pm
Book signing
Drama workshop/ Spoken Word Workshop Forum
Sunday 11 May 1pm 16+ Ages
John Crace
Taking the Lead
Join the Guardian sketch writer and satirist supreme as he rattles through with wit and wisdom stories from his highly-acclaimed new book. Taking the Lead is a satirical memoir from the eyes of his beloved dog, Herbie. And as a Westminster veteran, boy does he have some stories to share. It started when a chance encounter with Sadiq Khan’s Labrador landed Herbie a job working as a special advisor to Ed Miliband in 2014. Then he was summoned by David Cameron to work on the Remain campaign in the EU referendum. He experienced the pain of working with Theresa May; was sacked and then rehired by Boris Johnson to advise on Covid; was at Balmoral when the Queen died; had a ringside seat for Liz Truss; was fired by Rishi Sunak and then latterly taken on by Keir Starmer. This is the story the politicians didn’t want you to know. What are Larry the Cat and Dilyn the Dog really like? How did Charlotte Owen get a peerage? Herbert Hound, finally, tells all… John Crace has been the Guardian's political sketch writer for the last ten years and is one of the paper's most loved columnists. He has also written about twenty books on everything from cricket, football, TV, literature, politics and – not forgetting – himself.
Wendy Joseph
Rough Justice
Interviewer: Darren Forrester
The former Old Bailey judge and author of Unlawful Killings returns to the festival to lift the lid on our legal system and ask whether it delivers criminal justice for those involved. In Rough Justice, Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC examines four gripping trials over which she presided and excavates matching historical cases of murder and intrigue.
From the trial of a child charged with disposing of dismembered body parts, to the woman accused of killing her husband, this session promises to be a compelling account of the struggles in our legal system and how ‘justice for all’ is a concept to debate so that we might demand better.
As the author compares modern tales with eerily similar cases and miscarriages of justice from years ago, might the most chilling story of all be that the lessons of the past have yet to be learned?
Wendy Joseph is interviewed by Darren Forrester, Partner at Berry & Lamberts Solicitors.
Laurence Rees
The Nazi Mind
Sunday 11 May
Crime/Factual
Council Chamber
Sunday 11 May 2pm
Book signing
16+ Age recommendation
History
Amelia, Atrium
This disturbing book is timely, relevant and important
Sir Ian Kershaw
Laurence Rees, former Head of BBC TV History programmes and author of several acclaimed books on the Second World War, joins us with the launch of his latest work: The Nazi Mind - 12 Warnings From History. He is a BAFTA winning historical documentary filmmaker and a British Book Award winning author of several books about Adolf Hitler, the Nazis and the atrocities they committed. He questions how could the Nazis have committed the crimes they did? Why did the commandants of concentration and death camps willingly –often enthusiastically – oversee mass murder? How could ordinary Germans have tolerated the removal of the Jews? A captivating talk will discuss the motivation and the mentality behind the Nazis and their supporters.
Sunday 11 May 2pm
Book signing
Sunday 11 May
Amelia, Green Room
Sunday 11 May
2–4pm
Literary Fiction
AHT
Sunday 11 May
3pm
Book signing Fantasy Writing Workshop
Kimberly
Pauley
Creative Fantasy Writing Workshop
In a detailed and demonstrative two hour workshop, fantasy and TTRPG writer Kimberly Pauley will teach attendees how to write thrilling fantasy stories for all kinds of different audiences. Exploring everything from worldbuilding to plot hooks and character design, Kimberly will break the fantasy genre down to its most basic building blocks, then teach you how to bring them back together to form a truly epic tale filled with magic and monsters!
Book signing16+ Age recommendation
Rupert Everett In conversation with Gaby Huddart
Join us for an unforgettable afternoon as the charismatic and multifaceted Rupert Everett discusses his debut collection of short stories, The American No with Gaby Huddart. Rupert will offer a rare glimpse into his extraordinary career and the inspirations behind his brilliantly witty and tender stories.
From his acclaimed acting roles in My Best Friend’s Wedding and The Happy Prince to his richly layered writing, Rupert Everett has dazzled audiences for decades. Now, with The American No he takes us on a new journey—one filled with love, loss, glamour, and the unexpected.
Each of the eight stories in this collection showcases Rupert’s extraordinary ability to blend humour, emotion, and sharp observation.
From the ferociously cutthroat world of a Los Angeles talent agency to Oscar Wilde’s poignant last moments in Paris, they each draw on his extensive experience in film and theatre.
Whether you are a fan of Rupert’s film roles, his stage performances, or his literary works, join us for a conversation between two distinctive voices of our time, reflecting on the joy and challenges of transitioning from acting to writing. Rupert Everett is an actor, writer and director. He has appeared in film and TV productions including Napoleon, Shrek 2 (as Prince Charming), Inspector Gadget, Funny Woman, and My Best Friend’s Wedding. His memoir, Red Carpets and other Banana Skins, was a Sunday Times bestseller and its sequel Vanished Years won the Sheridan Morley prize for biography.
Justic/Women/Equality
Town Hall Council Chamber
Sunday 11 May 4pm
Book signing
Harriet Wistrich and Laura Bates Sister in
Law and Sisters of Fire & Fury
Two incredible women discuss everyday sexism in an ever-increasing world of gender inequality and a justice system that often fails women. Harriet Wistrich and Laura Bates are brilliant, inspirational thinkers and campaigners, this crucial event will promote an important debate and discussion that every woman should be a part of.
Harriet Wistrich has had a remarkable career at the forefront of some historic and ground breakding victories. Her work has led her to challenge the police, CPS, government departments and the prison and immigration system. Sister in Law tells the shocking stories of some of those who have come to her for assistance and shines a feminist light on the landscape of arcane laws and byzantine systems, skewed towards male behavour and responses.
Laura Bates is a feminist activist, New York Times and Sunday Times best-selling author, and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project.
In The New Age of Sexism, Laura explores the metaverse, confronts deepfake pornography, travels to cyber brothels, tests chatbots, and hears from schools in the grip of online sexual abuse, showing how our lives – from education to work, sex to entertainment – are being infiltrated by easily accessible AI technologies that are changing the way we live and love.
Every feminist should know Harriet Wistrich’s name. There is no one better to learn from if you want to Get Shit Done
- Helen Lewis, author of Difficult Women
All men must read this book if they have any interest in a truly just, fair and equal society
-Robin Ince
Sunday 11 May
Memoir
Trinity Theatre
Sunday 11 May 5pm Book signing
Lucy Mangan Bookish
Bookish is Lucy Mangan’s love letter to all those who come alive when they pull a new treasure off the shelf, stay up late reading just one more page and pack their suitcases with clothes wedged between books instead of the other way around.
Brimming with literary insights, wry observations and stellar recommendations, this book is an ode to the bookish places – from local libraries to bookstores big and small – and the stories that make us who we are.
Lucy Mangan is a journalist and columnist. She got a work experience placement at the Guardian in 2003 and hung around until they gave her a job. Lucy is now TV critic at the Guardian, and a columnist for The i newspaper. She has written for most of the major women's magazines, including Grazia, Cosmopolitan, and Stylist.
Dungeons & Dragons DM Surgery
DM James, Kimberly Pauley, Paul Foxcroft
Attention all Dungeon Masters:
Sunday 11 May
Whether you’re having trouble at the table, looking for a new spark of inspiration for your campaign, or you’re just starting out and don’t know where to begin, our DM Surgery could be just what you need! Featuring established Dungeon Masters and TTRPG Authors, this panel of experts are ready and willing to answer questions on anything and everything related to the integral role of DM, from running established campaigns to homebrewing, problem solving, player communication and beyond.
Suzie Miller
Prima Facie
An incredible opportunity to meet the awardwinning writer Suzie Miller, who’s Olivier Award winning play was seen in the West End with Jodie Comer giving a solo tour-de-force.
Now a book, Prima Facie takes us to the heart of where emotions and experience collide with the rules of the game.
The story follows Tessa, a brilliant young barrister. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending; cross examing and winning. The law is a game and she is its most talented player. One sickening night, though, Tessa finds herself in a position countless women – one in three – have been in before her. She is faced with a gut-wrenching, life changing decision. Will she take to the stand to testify about her rape, with the full awareness that the system has not been built to protect her. This is a propulsive, raw look at the price victims pay for speaking out and the system that sets them up to fail.
Game Role Play/ Participation
Amelia, Atrium
Sunday 11 May 6pm
Literary Fiction
Trinity Theatre Sunday 11 May 7pm
Book signing
Signed by Emma Isted
A tour of the play has just been announced and can be seen in regions across the UK in 2026. Suzie Miller is a contemporary international playwright, screenwriter and author, drawn to complex human stories often exploring injustice. On stage, Prima Facie won an Olivier Award for Best New Play and an Olivier and Tony Award for actress Jodie Comer who performed in the West End and Broadway productions.
Kids events
Stephen Mangan and Anita Mangan
The
Fart that Saved the
Universe
Join Stephen Mangan and Anita Mangan, the funniest author-illustrator, brother-sister duo for games, draw-alongs and stories. The bestselling creators of The Fart that Changed the World are back with a new novel The Fart that Saved the Universe (out May). Laughter guaranteed! See Anita’s specially commissioned illustration outside the Children’s Library in The Amelia Scott and see how many animals you can find reading books! Please bring paper and pencils to draw along in this event.
Assembly Hall Theatre
Thursday 8 May 10–11am 7+ years
Paul Linnet Supertato
Join Paul Linnet, the co-creator of the bestselling Supertato picture books, as he introduces the series’ newest Supertato picture book Happy Birthday Nitwit!
If you’re looking for fun and giggles galore, this veggie adventure-fest is the family show for you. Expect stories, singing, silliness and a lot of veggies!
This schools’ event includes a post-show photo opportunity for each school and special book plates for attending schools with pre-ordered books being available for collection on the day. This event is for Key Stage 1 school groups.
Assembly Hall Theatre Friday 9 May 10–11am Ages 4–7
Megan Hopkins
Starminster II - A Month of Birthdays
A thrilling fantasy talk with Sevenoaks author Megan Hopkins about her Starminster Trilogy. Children’s imaginations will be let loose as Megan takes us on a magical journey with Astrid and her fantastical adventures as she learns to fly. Megan Hopkins is a Northern Irish writer who grew up in Belfast, Stuttgart, Chesterfield and Nairobi. She is a secondary school English teacher with an MA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the Open University. She is a member of the Sevenoaks Bookshop Writing Group and was longlisted for WriteMentor’s Novel in Development Award 2022. Megan has always dreamt of flying. Starminster was her opportunity to live that dream and share it with everyone who longs for endless skies.
Amelia, Activity space
Saturday 10 May 1.30pm
Natelle Quek and Eva Wong
Dancing Dumplings for My One and Only
Join author Eva Wong Nava and illustrator Natelle Quek of Dancing Dumplings For My One And Only for a storytime reading and a “na-nium, na-nium” arts and crafts session where you’ll colour in and make your own dumpling-themed bunting to take home.
Eva Wong Nava writes stories that explore identity, culture, and belonging by adding a dash of magic.
Natelle Quek is an illustrator, focusing in particular on picture books, young fiction, and non-fiction.
Drama Geezers
Story Time Workshop
Join The Drama Geezers for an interactive storytelling extravaganza, where children take the reins in crafting a brand-new tale through imaginative play. Together, they'll weave a narrative filled with whimsical characters and wild escapades, bringing the story to life before their very eyes. Once the adventure concludes, the children will immortalise their creation by sketching it on our giant paper!
The Drama Geezers are Simon Batchelor and Paul Andrew two Drama Practitioners with a love of drama and a passion for working creatively with young people and adults.
The Drama Geezers are on a mission to challenge stereotypes about male involvement in play and creativity. They firmly believe that there is immense strength in men embracing their playful side, and they are dedicated to igniting this passion in more men.
Clare Harlow
Tide Magic
Magic, mystery, and monsters abound as Clare Harlow will be sharing Waterstones’ Children’s Book of the Year 2025 shortlisted book Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit; as well as Ista’s next magical adventure Tidemagic: Ista Flit and the Impossible Key. Join Clare as we explore the world of Shelwich where everyone is born with a magical gift, and magic rises and falls with the Tide… and yet not all is as it seems.
Amelia, Activity space Saturday 10 May 11am–12noon Little Vic Theatre Saturday 10 May 11am Ages 4–11 Amelia, Activity space Sunday 11 May 4pm
Events at a glance
Monday 5 May
Waterstones Duncan Minshull Globetrotting: Writers Walk the World 2pm
AHT
Amelia Atrium
Tuesday 6 May
Paddock
Wednesday 7 May
Thursday 8 May
Lucy Worsley Jane Austen at Home- no book signing 7.30pm
Shaparak Khorsandi | Robin Ince Scatter Brain | Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal 7pm
AHT Stephen Mangan | Anita Mangan The Fart that Saved the Universe 10am
Amelia, Upper Atrium John Suchet In Search of Beethoven: A Personal Journey 4pm Amelia Atrium Chris Chibnall Death at the White Hart 7pm
Trinity Theatre Charlie English The CIA Book Club 7pm AHT Richard Ayoade
Friday 9 May
Canton | Kate Bradbury
Saturday 10 May
Amelia Activity space Natelle Quek | Eva Wong Dancing Dumplings for My One and Only 11am Pop-in, Pop-up, RVP Multiple Local Writers’ Book Fair 11am Little Vic Theattre, RVP Drama Geezers Story Time Workshop 11am
Amelia Atrium Gaia Vince | Tim Minshall
Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World, Your Life is Manufactured11.30am
Town Hall, Council Chamber Dr Neil Lawrence The Atomic Human: Understanding Ourselves in the Age of AI 12pm
Amelia Green Room Abi Daré And So I Roar 12pm Forum Alan Edwards I Was There: Dispatches From A Life In Rock and Roll 12pm
Amelia Courtyard Martha Swales Give it a Grow 1pm
Amelia Activity space Megan Hopkins Starminster II - A Month of Birthdays 1.30pm Forum Giles Smith My My! Abba Through the Ages 2pm
Little Vic Theatre Harry Whittaker | Rhianna Pratchett Creative legacies 2.30pm
Amelia Atrium Maff Potts Friends and Purpose 2.30pm
Town Hall, Council Chamber Simon Jenkins
A Short History of British Architecture: From Stonehenge to the Shard 2.30pm
Amelia Atrium Louise Minchin Isolation Island 4.30pm
Town Hall, Council Chamber Nikki May This Motherless Land 4.30pm
Sunday 11 May
Little Vic Threatre - TN1 2SS
Pop-in Pop-up - TN1 2SS
Trinity Theatre - TN1 1JP
The Amelia Scott - TN1 1JN Town Hall - TN1 1RS
Hall Theatre - TN1 2LU
- TN2 5TN
- TN1 2TD