Summary
2026 FULL PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENT Alexei Sayle | Andrew Child | Andrew Davies | Anneka Rice | AP McCoy | Ashley James | Blake Morrison | Boyd Hilton | Caitlin Moran | Cariad Lloyd | Celia Imrie | Charlie Higson | Craig Revel Horwood | Dave Rowntree | David Kynaston | David Larbi | David Olusoga | David Szalay | Deepika Chopra | Elif Shafak | Fearne Cotton | Frank Cottrell-Boyce | Frank Gardner | Giles Yeo | Greg James | Greg Wise | Gyles Brandreth | Helen Fielding | Helen Garner | Hugo Rifkind | Ian Botham | Ian Hislop | Ian Rankin | Jack Edwards | Jeffrey Archer | Jill Dawson | Joe Marler | John Kampfner | John Robins | Julian Lloyd Webber | Juliet Stevenson | Justin Webb | Katherine Parkinson | Katherine Ryan | Kathy Lette | Lee Child | Leigh Lawson | Liz Earle | Lucy Caldwell | Lucy Porter | Lucy Worsley | Maggie Aderin | Maggie O’Farrell | Margaret Hodge | Marina Hyde | Mary Beard | Mary Berry | Mat Osman | Matt Haig | Meera Syal | Mel Giedroyc | Michael Morpurgo | Michael Whitehall | Nadia Murad | Naomi Ishiguro | Nigel Planer | Philippa Perry | Poorna Bell | Prue Leith | Rachel Parris | Rachael Stirling | Reece Shearsmith | Richard Coles | Richard Osman | Robert Harris | Robert Peston | Russell T Davies | Sajid Javid | Samira Ahmed | Sandi Toksvig | Sarah Churchwell | Sara Pascoe | Sathnam Sanghera | Sebastian Faulks | Simon Armitage | Susie Dent | Tracy Borman | Will Gompertz | Yann Martel | William Hague GUEST CURATORS: Candice Carty-Williams | Matt Arlidge FAMILY AND YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMME: Andy Day | Faridah Abike-Iyimide | | Harriet Muncaster | Jodie Ounsley | Katie Kirby | Liz Pichon | Maggie Aderin | Michael Morpurgo | Michael Rosen | MC Grammar | Nadia Shireen | Rob Biddulph | Russell Kane In the National Year of Reading – the UK’s biggest reading campaign in a generation – The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival returns 9-18 October with an unmissable programme of more than 500 events, bringing to life the stories that matter.
Details
The world’s longest-running literature festival continues to lead the way in celebrating the written and spoken word.
Across 10 packed days, this year’s programme brings together the most exciting new voices in fiction alongside literary greats, stars of stage and screen, incisive political thinkers and cultural commentators, as well as a vibrant family and schools programme, performances and literary happenings scattered across the town.
World-famous names will appear alongside brand-new voices, reflecting the Festival’s commitment to celebrating today’s leading names while championing the writers, thinkers and storytellers of the future.
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Bringing together international participants from across the globe, both in person and online, the Festival encourages attendees to Read the World together and reinforces its role as a platform for understanding the world around us and exploring the major issues shaping our lives today.
Through conversations, debates and storytelling, the programme will inspire people of all ages to rediscover the joy of reading as part of our everyday lives, while also tackling the most pressing cultural, political and social questions of our time, offering audiences fresh perspectives, informed discussion and unforgettable encounters with some of the world’s most influential voices.
Collage of festival attendees at Cheltenham Literature Festival, credit Cheltenham Festivals and Still Moving Media. SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE At a time when reading for pleasure among children and adults is at its lowest, Cheltenham Literature Festival will celebrate and challenge what it means to be a ‘reader’.
Whether Festival-goers enjoy delving into the world-building of gaming, interrogating the latest breaking news story or listening to the latest audiobook topping the charts, the Festival programme will reflect the many ways people connect with stories, ideas and knowledge, championing the belief that there is no single way to be a reader.
Report source: Visit Cheltenham Blog
