FROM a wildlife photographer to a children’s laureate, some of the headline names attending this year’s Stratford Literary Festival have been announced.
Following the record-breaking success of last autumn’s festival, which saw its highest ticket sales, the literary extravaganza returns from May 7 to May 10 with another vibrant and wide-ranging programme.
Renowned for its eclectic mix of ideas, stories and voices, the festival will once again bring together leading thinkers, writers, broadcasters and performers.
The first headline names confirmed for its spring line-up include BBC broadcaster Sophie Raworth, psychotherapist and bestselling author Philippa Perry, classicist Natalie Haynes, wildlife photographer Gordon Buchanan, film expert and broadcaster Mark Kermode, psychologist and BBC Life Changing presenter Dr Sian Williams, historian Antony Beevor and Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce.
Across four days, audiences can expect events spanning nature and history, AI and freedom of the press, art and the classics, alongside crime and thriller writing, popular culture, emerging writers and much more.
From gaming and game theory, online fraud and wine tasting, to Shakespeare, Scummy Mummies and everything in between, the programme promises something to engage and entertain everyone.
Further headline speakers announced include best-selling children’s author Rob Biddulph, nutrition expert Tim Spector, actor Larry Lamb, artist Matthew Rice, human rights lawyer Marina Wheeler, geneticist and broadcaster Dr Adam Rutherford, Death in Paradise and Father Ted actor and author Ardal O’Hanlon, arts presenter Samira Ahmed, art historian Andrew Graham Dixon, modern historian Saul David, Radio 3 presenter Tom Service, bestselling author SJ Parris, Times’ Radio presenter Matt Chorley, novelist Patrick Gale, chair of Natural England Tony Juniper, crime author Gillian McAllister, war historian James Holland, geographer and broadcaster Nicholas Crane, food journalist Felicity Cloake – with many more names to be revealed.
Meanwhile, festival patron and global bestselling author Maggie O’Farrell will be appearing at a one-off special festival event on Friday June 12 at Rother Street Arts House. Following the much-anticipated on-screen adaption of her world renowned novel Hamnet, Maggie will be discussing her latest book Land.
The evocative novel of upheaval and loss is set in mid-19th century Ireland around the great Ordnance Survey project to map the whole country. Centred around one family, Land is a deeply moving story about separation and reunion, tragedy and recovery, colonisation and rebellion and written in O’Farrell’s inimitable style.
Visit www.stratfordliteraryfestival.co.uk/ for more details.
