About Henley Literary Festival

What started as a few talks over a weekend in 2007 has grown in to one of the country’s most established Literary Festivals. Now in its 18th year, the Festival runs for a full nine days across two venues around the town, hosting around 120 events each year, not including our year-round Pop-up programme of events in the town.

The programme is hugely varied and our adults and children’s programmes encompass a wide range of events covering fiction and non-fiction on everything from music, science, sport, history, politics, food and drink, travel, health, fashion, current affairs and much, much more! Over the years our audiences have seen Prime Ministers, Booker winners, Brit winners, a Princess, an Astronaut, an Archbishop and Chief Rabbi, alongside Olympians, Oscar-winners, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, Great British Bakers and international bestsellers among our stellar line-ups.

In 2023, we had a record-breaking year with over 23,500 tickets sold to our events featuring names such as Theresa May, David Walliams, Elif Shafak, Clive Myrie, Judy Murray, Jacqueline Wilson, David Baddiel, Stephen Mulhern, Sebastian Faulks, Clare Balding and many more. Our 2023 highlights video can be seen here: https://www.henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk/a-review-of-our-2023-festival/

Henley Literary Festival 2024

The 18th annual Festival features over 120 conversations, performances, workshops and talks for adults and children from September 28 to October 6, at Henley Town Hall and a large marquee at Phyllis Court Club by the Thames.

Bestselling authors Paula Hawkins, David Nicholls, Elif Shafak, Bella Mackie, Roddy Doyle, Jodi Picoult, Robert Harris, Kate Mosse, Jacqueline Wilson, Irvine Welsh, Santa Montefiore, Nikki May and Lynda La Plante all appear, alongside entertainers and broadcasters Michael Palin, Trevor McDonald, Sara Cox, Rupert Everett, Zeinab Badawi, Gyles Brandreth, Susie Dent, Celia Imrie and Fearne Cotton.

Events for children of all ages include Paralympian Jonnie Peacock, Supertato creator Sue Hendra, Rob Biddulph and Katie Kirby.

Strictly judges Anton du Beke and Shirley Ballas will each hit the Henley stage, as will beloved poets Pam Ayres, Roger McGough and Donna Ashworth. From the world of sport Henry Blofeld, Iwan Thomas, Gabby Logan, F1 expert Will Buxton and Felix Francis all feature, as do comedians Julian Clary, Helen Lederer, Danny Wallace, Rosie Holt and Celebrity Juice star Leigh Francis.

Thousands of years of history will be covered by Max Hastings, William Dalrymple, Alison Weir, Jonathan Dimbleby, Richard Dannatt, Clare Mulley and Damien Lewis, while on current affairs there is Liam Fox, Will Hutton, Rachel Clarke, Tom Burgis, Iain Dale, Polly Toynbee and Nadim Zahawi. Gardening experts Sarah Raven, Carol Klein and Rachel de Thame share their wisdom, Rick Stein, Tim Spector and Tom Parker-Bowles discuss food and Zandra Rhodes looks back on her life in fashion. Local authors speaking this year include Cesca Major, Anthony Wootton, Kirsty Dougal, Jim Donaghue and Toni Ilsley.

The Festival will be followed in November by a series of pop-up events including David and Yinka Olusoga, Wayne Sleep, the Reverend Richard Coles and Marcus Wareing.