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More than 50 of our writers will be speakers at this year’s Times/Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival.
This will be the 67th festival in the stylish Regency West Country town and is being staged on October 7-16.
There are more than 600 events being held during the 10-day literary extravaganza. Top names include Oscar-winning film director Oliver Stone, comedian Alan Carr, illusionist Derren Brown, novelist Jilly Cooper and footballer Joey Barton.
Baroness Gail Rebuck, festival chair, said: “Cheltenham Literature Festival 2016 will be the most exciting place to hear writers, politicians, academics and journalists explore new ways of seeing the world. Wide-ranging debates will be scheduled alongside unique opportunities to hear literary greats discuss their work, both past and present.
“There will also be a chance to meet some of the leading figures in film, art, design and food – while also discovering fresh literary voices.
“Cheltenham, Britain’s oldest literature festival, will also showcase millennial talent from bloggers to spoken word poets, offering up yet another year of inspired curation and intellectual challenge.”
The full line-up was revealed on Saturday August 13. Tickets go on sale to festival members on Wednesday August 31 and on public sale from Wednesday September 7.
Six guest curators will bring their experience and insight to bear on the festival’s two main themes of America Uncovered and Millennials. They are: American writer, critic and former editor of Granta magazine John Freeman; Professor of American Literature Sarah Churchwell; comedian Reginald D Hunter; rapper, poet and academic Akala; Girl Lost in the City blogger Emma Gannon and writer and performer Cecilia Knapp.
As well as the very latest in fiction, the festival offers events covering history, art, classic literature, music, film, theatre, entertainment, food and lifetstyle. The children’s programme will boast two weekends packed with an exciting line-up of author events, shows and workshops for toddlers to teens.
The Times writer Ben Macintyre is a regular festival speaker and will be getting our presence under way on the opening day – Friday October 7.
He will be talking about his latest book SAS: Rogue Heroes, the first-ever authorised history of the famed Special Air Service (SAS) regiment on its 75th anniversary. The book is published just a couple of weeks before the festival starts.
OUR WRITERS AT CHELTENHAM
FRIDAY OCTOBER 7
• Times columnist Ben Macintyre shares his findings from the SAS archives in his new book alongside a SAS special guest.
• Times columnist Libby Purves explores resilience with broadcaster Sian Williams, who has recently experienced breast cancer.
• Libby Purves chairs a panel discussing how life at The Parsonage inspired the Brontes.
• Political Mavericks: Times columnist Rachel Sylvester chairs a panel discussing Churchill’s campaign to destroy Hitler.
• Postnatal Depression: The Last Taboo? Chaired by Libby Purves.
• Sunday Times Must Read: A Life Discarded. Sunday Times literary editor Andrew Holgate presents.
• Times columnist Hugo Rifkind hears from TV’s Ray Mears about forest survival skills.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 8
•The Silent Service: Britain’s Secret Armed Force. Libby Purves chairs the talk on Royal Navy submarines.
• Sunday Times chief fiction reviewer Peter Kemp talks to Graham Swift about his new novel.
• TLS Editor Stig Abell talks to the title’s contributing classics editor Mary Beard about why the Roman Empire still matters.
• Times arts editor Alex O’Connell uncovers what it takes to write a children’s mystery adventure.
• Sunday Times US Election Review: Sunday Times deputy editor Sarah Baxter and Sunday Times executive editor Eleanor Mills join the panel.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 9
• Times columnist Philip Collins joins Marcus Brigstocke and other guests to review the week’s news over Sunday brunch.
• The Senecans: Mary Beard is joined by former TLS and Times editor Peter Stothard.
• Sunday Times Style Lunch: The supplement comes to life with editor Jackie Annesley, columnists Cosmo Landesman and Dolly Alderton, fashion features editor Pandora Sykes, fashion editor Claudia Croft and other guests.
• Alex O’Connell is joined by children’s authors Gill Lewis and Katherine Rundell to discuss their most recent novels.
• Alex O’Connell explores the illustrations of The Lie Tree with its creators.
• Philip Collins interviews the American satirist PJ O’Rourke.
• Times columnist Robert Crampton returns to host his popular quiz night.
• The Rugby Report with Sunday Times rugby correspondent Stephen Jones and Sunday Times writer and former England player Stuart Barnes.
MONDAY OCTOBER 10
• Crosswords with The Times: Times crossword editor Richard Rogan shows you how it is done.
• Times columnist Matthew Parris chairs a panel sharing the famous cases of criminal barrister Jeremy Hutchinson.
• Andrew Holgate talks to Edna O’Brien about her career and latest work.
• Times chief theatre critic Ann Treneman chairs an exploration into how the Islamic world influenced English theatre.
• Matthew Parris explores history’s individuals with historian Margaret Macmillan.
• Times literary editor Robbie Millen is joined by US authors Donald Ray Pollock and Bill Beverley to introduce their latest novels.
• Still Knackered: A Night Out For Mums. Sunday Times columnist Francesca Hornak joins the panel to talk motherhood.
• Times chief art critic Rachel Campbell-Johnston leads the discussion on the life, work and influence of Georgia O’Keeffe.
• Philip Collins is joined by linguist David Crystal to explore Obama’s ‘Yes We Can’ speech.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 11
• Richard Rogan goes through the day’s puzzle.
• Sunday Times travel editor Stephen Bleach and Sunday Times chief travel writer Chris Haslam lead the experts on finding off-grid travel locations.
• Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman joins the discussion on how best to go about Brexit.
• Times columnist Sathnam Sanghera talks to cardiac surgeon Samer Nashef about surgical care.
• Party conference round-up: Philip Collins is joined by Tim Shipman, Times commissioning editor, Comment Alice Thomson and former Times political editor Philip Webster.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12
• Richard Rogan does the crosswords.
• Sunday Times foreign editor Peter Conradi hears former senior NATO general Robert Shirreff talk about the threat from Russia.
• Olympians With A Difference: Times assistant sports editor Richard Whitehead chairs.
• Sunday Times Money editor Becky Barrow and Sunday Times personal account columnist Ian Cowie lead a panel on money saving.
• Peter Conradi is joined by former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown to discuss Game of Spies.
• Schools programme – Hot off the press: Book reviews with commissioning editor for books at The Times, Fiona Wilson.
• Schools programme – Hot off the press: Data, the future of journalism with TNL data editor Megan Lucero.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 13
• One hundred years on, former British Army officer and Times contributor Allan Mallinson discusses the significance of October 1916 in the First World War.
• Richard Rogan looks at the crosswords.
• Becky Barrow talks to former Sunday Times Magazine editor Hunter Davies about his life.
• Times Explainers: Times senior writer Alexi Mostrous talks about how he has uncovered tax avoidance schemes.
• Times chief football writer Henry Winter joins a panel discussing England’s disappointing national teams.
• Schools programme – How to talk so people will listen with Philip Collins.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 14
• Richard Rogan returns to solve the day’s puzzles.
• Times Live: Times deputy editor Emma Tucker is joined by members of the Times leader writing team to discuss the next edition.
• Alice Thomson joins the 90th anniversary celebrations for the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
• Sunday Times interiors editor Katrina Burroughs talks to interior designer Kelly Hoppen about her career.
• Eleanor Mills joins The Clean Eating Debate.
• Times columnist David Aaronovitch tells Times executive editor, Digital Danny Finkelstein about his life.
• The Dish Literary Dinner: Dish editor Laurel Ives is joined by Sunday Times Magazine wine columnist Damian Barr and contributor Skye McAlpine to chat about food in literature.
• Schools programme – Inside the industry: Journalism from scoop to story with Emma Tucker.
• Schools programme – Hot off the press: The news article with Times arts correspondent Jack Malvern.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 15
• Sunday Times Insight editor Jonathan Calvert joins The Doping Debate.
• Robbie Millen talks to author Lionel Shriver about her new book.
• Andrew Holgate chats to authors Sarah Perry and Francis Spufford about their historical novels.
• Danny Finkelstein joins the examination of Obama’s administration.
• Times columnist and psychologist Tanya Byron leads the exploration of parenting in the modern world.
• Damian Barr leads the celebrations of Valley of Dolls 50 years after its controversial release.
• Times Debate: Times columnist Justin Webb joins the assessment of the so-called special relationship between the US and UK.
• Alex O’Connell asks authors Julie Mayhew and Simon Mayo about writing dystopia for young adults.
• Sunday Times restaurant critic AA Gill tells Tanya Byron about his days as an alcoholic.
• Eleanor Mills, chair of Women in Journalism, joins the discussion on closing the gender gap.
• Sunday Times foreign correspondent Christina Lamb and AA Gill share the story of refugee Nujeen Mustafa, who journeyed from Syria to Germany in a wheelchair.
• Times fashion director Anna Murphy talks iconic dresses.
• Author Damian Barr leads discussion on erotic fiction.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 16
• The Sunday Times Culture Interview: AA Gill talks to screen writer Armando Iannucci about his work in the UK and USA.
• The Times Live leader debate returns.
• Times chief rock critic Will Hodgkinson talks about the life of Beach Boy Brian Wilson.
• Sunday Times columnist Luke Johnson helps to weigh up the pros and cons of the sharing economy.
• Andrew Holgate talks to author Mark Haddon about his first collection of short stories.
• Eleanor Mills chairs The Sunday Times Debate on free speech in the modern world.
• Anna Murphy talks about fashion in Fairy Tales.
• Book and a Bottle: Damian Barr talks to Lionel Shriver about her new book over wine.
• Times Guide to Modern Manners: Robbie Millen and Times columnist Rachel Johnson talk about etiquette.
• THE FESTIVAL GUIDE IS here
