All Events
Shown in date & time order.
Children & Family Events
There's an exciting line-up of children's & family events across 10 days.
For tickets & more information click the 'Details' button to see individual events
Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times
2025 Free Events
There's a great line-up of Free Events on offer across 10 days of the festival.
For more information on individual events and to reserve tickets click the 'Details' button
Harriet Constable
One of the best historical debut novels of 2024. Inspired by true events in 18th-century Venice, The Instrumentalist tells the story of Anna Maria della Pietà – orphan, musical prodigy and favourite student of Antonio Vivaldi. With host Sarah Lonsdale.
Polly Toynbee & David Walker
The Guardian’s Polly Toynbee and co-author David Walker dig into 14 years of Conservative rule to ask how the incompetence and austerity measures inflicted on the British public might be put right by the new Labour government in the years ahead. With host Steven Gale.
Jennifer Lucy Allan
Archeology, history and the lived experience of an amateur potter combine in this love letter to clay. Jennifer Lucy Allan will be in conversation with Faversham-based potter Lucy Rutter.
Jonny Garrett
A humorous and informative history of beer, which might just be our most important invention! Did you know that the people who built the pyramids were paid in ale; the first fridge was built for beer not food? As Jonny Garrett will reveal, this is not a book about how we made beer, but how beer made us. As Faversham is home to Britain's oldest brewer Shepherd Neame, this is an event not to miss... and all attendees will receive a voucher for a free pint of Shepherd Neame beer at selected Faversham pubs!
Harry Baker
The battle-rapping, happy-crying, self-bio-writing unashamed human brings his signature playfulness, poignancy and quick-fire rhymes to a brand new show celebrating the wonder that is being alive.
Scarlett Thomas
Bestselling Kent author of The End of Mr Y, Scarlett Thomas's latest novel, The Sleepwalkers, is a wickedly funny and sublimely creepy tale of a couple’s demise while holidaying on a Greek island. Playful and political... expect Daphne du Maurier meets Patricia Highsmith. With host Daniel Hahn.
Derek Gow
Renowned for his work in rewilding and species reintroduction, Derek Gow, author of Bringing Back the Beaver, looks at the history of the wolf’s demise and the possibility of a future return to Britain for this majestic species. With Carol Donaldson.
Meike Ziervogel
The story of a young Syrian refugee woman who lives in Shatila, one of the world's oldest refugee camps, told by Meike Ziervogel, co-founder of an NGO for refugees in the Middle East. Meike talks to Daniel Hahn about how her writing draws on experience of working with displaced persons, and her own past.
Tasneem Abdur-Rashid
British Bengali-born writer Tasneem Abdur-Rashid talks to author Maggie Brookes about her uplifting, laugh-out-loud story, The Thirty Before Thirty List, which confronts the choices that a young woman has to make between forging an exciting, independent life or accepting a life defined by family and tradition.
Joe Tucker
Scriptwriter and producer Joe Tucker shares the real-life tale of his Uncle Eric, who turned to painting portraits of working-class life as a way of trying to make sense of his own. A story full of heart and humour. With host Steven Gale.
Lissa Evans
Meet one of the producers of the cult-hit TV show Father Ted. In her nostalgic, warm-hearted memoir Lissa Evans reveals the challenges of the job and shares a hilarious montage of some of her most treasured Father Ted moments, from clerics crashing through windows to runaway milk floats. Lissa is in conversation with author Clare Chambers.
Xialou Guo
The Chinese-born writer and film-maker talks to Daniel Hahn about her life in Hastings, asking how an immigrant, an outsider and a woman can embrace local and national history.
Xiaolu Guo is 'One of the most valuable writers in the world' – Deborah Levy
Greg Mosse, Julie Wassmer & Jamie West
Greg Mosse, Julie Wassmer and Jamie West talk about their latest novels and take a wry, amusing look at the foibles of some of their best cosy crime characters.
Helen Charman
Helen Charman makes a radical case for what liberated mothering could be. Beginning with an understanding that to mother is a political act, Helen talks to author and journalist Eliane Glaser about her research into what motherhood has been, from the 1970s to the 2010s – from Women’s Liberation to austerity and how this maps mothers' fights for an alternative future.
Iain Sinclair
Iain Sinclair’s latest book, Pariah Genius, follows the life of photographer John Deakin, whose chronicles of Soho life – and the world of Francis Bacon and his friends – have so influenced our perception of that generation’s work. He talks to author and broadcaster Horatio Clare about why Deakin remains such a compelling figure.
Nicolas Padamsee
The lives of two east London teenage boys become fatally entwined in this assured debut addressing themes of the online 'targeting' and 'recruiting' of teenagers, masculinity and marginalisation, Britishness, and the pernicious pull of extremist politics. Darkly humorous and highly topical, this is an Observer Best Debut Novel 2024; and shortlisted for the prestigious Gordon Burns Prize.
Poetry Hub & Open Mic
Local poets perform a selection from their most recent publications. Click on the 'Details' box to see the full line-up and reserve a place. Includes an Open Mic slot, 6.30–8.30pm.
Helen Heckety
A sharp, funny, heartbreaking debut novel that explores the journey of self-discovery of a young woman who as a child was diagnosed with a condition that would alter the course of her life. With author and disability campaigner Chloe Timms.
Simon Goddard
Simon Goddard’s book-by-book, year-by-year literary trip through Bowie's greatest decade reaches 1974, the year in which one man is trying to find his soul in a world that's gone to the devil. Wickedly funny and shockingly tragic. With author Mark Stay.
Steve Crawshaw
Putting a country’s leader on trial once seemed unimaginable. But as journalist Steve Crawshaw makes clear in his new book – a blend of eyewitness reporting and history, including recent stories from the front lines of justice in Ukraine and Palestine – the possibilities of what can happen have been transformed. With host Daniel Hahn.
Sonia Overall & Daniel Hahn on Ernest Hemingway
Rethinking Hemingway, with translator Daniel Hahn and author Sonia Overall, whose novel Eden melds the persona of Hemingway himself with characters from his last book, written while he was living in Cuba.
Kate Mosse
Kate Mosse returns to Faversham to share more tales of adventure, intrigue and courage set in southern Africa across the 17th to the 19th centuries. She talks to Steven Gale about The Map of Bones, the final part in her sweeping historical tale about the Huguenot Joubert clan.
Andy Capon
Andy Capon, chief writer and editor of The Spire, is back on stage for a rematch with host Simon Tyler. Expect political satire, anecdotes, interjections and lots of drinking as they explore a cast of characters from Andy’s ‘semi-imaginary’ home town of Faversham.
Horatio Clare
Anxiety, depression, burnout, insomnia, eating disorders, psychosis – or any one of many conditions of the mind that can be hell to endure, or support someone through – award-winning writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare offers a map through the mental health system and how it can provide the help we need, when we most need it.
Ben Edge
Artist Ben Edge has travelled Britain recording weird and wonderful folk customs that come alive in communities all over the country. He shares stories, anecdotes and legends with host Caroline Millar, and talks about how connecting with living folklore helped him recover from depression.
Andrew Chatterton
Britain's position in 1940 was often described as 'alone' and 'weak'. Yet the reality was very different. Not only did Britain have powerful navy and RAF forces... the nation's Home Guard held thousands of men and women in secret roles ready to help fight against invasion. Historian Andrew Chatterton shares some of the incredible stories of derring-do.
Writing Workshop
Writing Workshop: The Apothecary's Prescription: Come and discover the fascinating world of the medieval apothecary and the botanical, medicinal and mythological stories associated with plants. Inspired by Derek Jarman's garden without boundaries at Dungeness, you will go away with a seed packet of words as starting points for your own creative writing. With Alexandra Le Rossignol.
Neil Alexander
A nostalgic coming-of-age tale, The Lost Past of Billy McQueen follows a young man drawn back to his native Ireland, on a quest to find out about the unexplained disappearance of his secret schoolboy sweetheart 30 years earlier. With host Graeme Bosley.
Wendy Joseph KC
Hot on the heels of her best-seller Unlawful Killings, Wendy Joseph KC skilfully reconstructs four courtroom dramas, drawing on her many years’ experience as a murder judge to ask if our justice system works, and if it has improved or not over the centuries. With host Marg Mayne.
This event is sponsored by Tassells Solicitors
Jeff Young
From the author of Ghost Town, psychogeographer Jeff Young’s Wild Twin is at once a hallucinatory dream book of lost youth and a deeply felt love song to the city he calls home. Literary journeying of the finest order, this is one you don’t want to miss. Jeff will be in conversation with his friend Horatio Clare.
Dame Harriet Walter
Dame Harriet Walter, renowned for her roles in Succession and Killing Eve, The Crown and Downton Abbey, is one of Britain’s most esteemed Shakespearean actors. Having played most of the Bard’s female characters she now, in her book She Speaks!, boldly lets them speak their minds... with new parts for 30 Shakespearean women written in verse and prose... a 'between the lines' that playfully and searchingly lets us hear what she imagines these women were really thinking.
Oliver Smith & Rod Edmond
Walking through histories, taking in the East Kent coast and an epic adventure across sacred British landscapes. Acclaimed travel writer Oliver Smith sets out to radically reframe our idea of 'pilgrimage' in Britain by retracing sacred travel made across time. Rod Edmond walks the East Kent coastline to explore its geography, history of invasion and defence, and how its fabled White Cliffs mark a border that has sometimes offered refuge and at other times refused entry.
Jonathan Coe
Darkly funny and razor-sharp, Jonathan Coe’s latest novel, The Proof of My Innocence, blends murder mystery and political critique in a blisteringly funny playing out of Britain's ever right-ward drift, culminating in our shortest serving MP ever.
Barney Campbell
A heartbreaking, sweeping portrayal of friendship forged in the trenches of the First World War, by the acclaimed author of Rain, which is based on the author’s own soldierly experiences in Afghanistan.
Carol Donaldson
A heart-warming true story of the woods and wildlife, conservation and community, by the Kent author of On the Marshes. When Carol became the leader of a ragtag team of countryside conservation volunteers, little did she know that this unlikely group would be the people to help her move forward in her life. Carol is in conversation with poet and artist Clair Meyrick.
Pam Ayres
Britain’s treasured poet Pam Ayres has been making the nation laugh for 50 years. She rose to fame after winning Opportunity Knocks in 1975 and is still one of the country’s favourite performance poets. Pam will be in Faversham performing from her new collection, Doggedly Onward: A Life in Poems. Not to be missed!
For tickets click the 'Details' button to see options & prices.
Dr Rachel Clarke
Bestselling author and palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke, the writer behind the medical TV drama series Breathtaking, has penned a riveting and inspiring true story of two families linked by one heart, interweaving the history of medical innovations behind transplant surgery with the plight of two children, one of whom desperately needs a new heart. The event will be chaired by Marg Mayne.
Michael Rosen
One of Britain’s best loved writers and performance poets for children and adults, Michael Rosen returns to Faversham to perform some of his favourite poems and share with readers a barrage of fun and wisdom from his new collections... get ready for some of the weirdest poems of all time! Age 7+
Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Accompanying adults need to purchase a ticket for this event.
Roger McGough
A lifetime of poetry collected in one volume, plus stories, anecdotes and lots of laughs as Roger McGough, one of the nation’s most revered poets, makes a very welcome return to Faversham to read from his triumphant new anthology. This event includes a 20-min interval.
Bettany Hughes
In a feat of magnificent storytelling, award-winning historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes reveals secrets from the ancient world told through its seven greatest monuments: The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Temple of Artemis, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Lighthouse of Alexandria; The Colossus at Rhodes, and The Mausoleum of Halikarnassos.
Sebastian Faulks
Sebastian Faulks, the author of bestsellers including Birdsong and Charlotte Gray, talks to Alex Preston about his latest work, The Seventh Son, the story of a young academic as she agrees to carry another woman’s child, which leads to life-changing consequences.
Clare Mulley
Historian Clare Mulley talks to Julia Wheeler about the incredible story of the courageous resistance fighter Elżbieta Zawacka, also known as ‘Elizabeth Watson’ but more often as ‘Zo’ – the only woman to parachute from Britain to Nazi-German occupied Poland during the Second World War and the sole female member of the Polish special forces.
Will Self
Based on the intimate diaries Will Self’s mother kept for over forty years, Elaine is a writer’s attempt to reach the almost unimaginable realm of a parent’s interior life prior to his own existence. Perhaps the first work of auto-oedipal fiction, Elaine shows Self working in an exciting new dimension, utilizing his stylistic talents to tremendous effect. Scathing and brilliant.
THIS EVENT WILL BE A LIVE LINK-UP WITH WILL SELF AT HIS HOME IN SOUTH LONDON. Pre-signed copies of Elaine will be available at the festival bookstore at the event.
Jon Spurling
Set against a backdrop of economic recession, rampant hooliganism and suspect fashion, Go To War tells the story of how triumph and tragedy shaped English football during the 1980s. Jon will be talking to host Graham Symon.
Alison Steadman
The much-loved Gavin and Stacey star talks to Julia Wheeler about her post-war working-class roots, varied acting career – from Abigail’s Party to Pride and Prejudice – and her former marriage to Mike Leigh. Expect it to be very funny, very feminist and very entertaining!
Poetry Slam
A 40-minute set from unmissable Scots spoken word performer Len Pennie. Followed by 10 poets battling it out with word play and top-notch performance to win the cash prize. With host Angela Dye. Not to be missed!
The Big Debate: Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence promises to transform everything, from work to transport to war, and to solve our problems with total ease – but at what cost? Tech philosopher Tom Chatfield, author of Wise Animals: How Technology Has Made Us What We Are, and James Muldoon, Feeding the Machine: The Hidden Human Labour Powering AI, discuss how we got to this point and what lies beneath the surface of the technology, including the the impact of AI on global inequalities and all our futures. Chaired by Julia Wheeler.
Caroline Lucas
With the UK more divided than ever, the idea of Englishness has re-emerged as a potent force in our culture and politics. In this timely book Caroline Lucas, former leader of the Green Party, delves into our literary heritage to explore what it can teach us about the most pressing issues of our time. With host Claire Armitstead, former associate editor of the Guardian, Culture.
Clare Chambers
The bestselling author of Small Pleasures discusses her new novel, Shy Creatures, about a talented artist incarcerated in a psychiatric hospital in Croydon in the 1960s, and the female art therapist who sets out to discover his story. With host Ann Morgan.
Poetry: Page vs Stage
Much is made of the distinction between poems written for the page, and pieces that have performance at their heart. This event will feature a panel discussion looking at the similarities and differences between these two forms. This will be followed by a Q&A session and an extended Open Mic event, with readings from our panelists – Sarah Hehir, JP Seabright, Jake Nathan, and panel chair Barnaby Harsent.
Eimear McBride
Trailblazing Irish author Eimear McBride, winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction for her instant classic, A Girl is a Half-formed Thing, talks to former Guardian Culture associate editor Claire Armitstead about her new novel set in London, in which a passionate love affair is tested to its limits.
Writing Workshop with Monique Roffey
Story vs Plot – What's the Difference?
In this creative writing workshop with Monique Roffey, author of The Mermaid of Black Conch, and Passiontide, the discussion and exercises will focus on the very important difference between story and plot and why they are very different, yet often get mixed up. Suitable for long and short fiction writers.
Nick Harkaway
Nick Harkaway's Karla's Choice is a thrilling return to the world of spy fiction's greatest writer, John le Carré. Nick Harkaway, whose real name is Nick Cornwell, talks to author and journalist Alex Preston about the shadowy world of George Smiley created by his father David Cornwell, who wrote as John le Carré – and why he decided to re-introduce the redoubtable agent and his steely nemesis in this page-turning plot of deceit and danger.
Wayne Sleep
Dancer and entertainer Wayne Sleep talks to Marg Mayne about his extraordinary life both on and off stage. In his memoir Just Different he looks back on the extraordinary times he has lived through, from dancing with ballet legends Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn to the prejudices he faced as a working-class, gay man and living through the Aids epidemic. Expect laughter, tears, and plenty of gossip.
Helen Jukes
The author of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings talks to Alex Preston about her new book Mother Animal, which investigates motherhood in the animal world, combining personal memoir with scientific insight. When Helen Jukes becomes pregnant and her body becomes increasingly strange to her, she looks beyond humans to ask how motherhood works in other species – the result is this startling new vision of what mothering can be.
Steve Diggle
Buzzcocks bass player and lead guitarist Steve Diggle has been the driving force keeping the band alive since he first met Pete Shelley in 1976. He talks to music journalist Siân Pattenden about his new book Autonomy, Diggle’s definitive inside account of their shared musical legacy and complex friendship through the band’s rise, fall, and rise again – from their punk origins to Top of the Pops, the band's break-up and reformation.
Frank Gardner OBE
BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner talks to Julia Wheeler about Invasion, the latest of his bestselling Luke Carlton thrillers, which traces an ominous gathering of Chinese armed forces and the threat of unpredictable global conflict.
Jackie Kay
Former Poet Laureate for Scotland Jackie Kay reads from her new collection and shares stories from decades of involvement in political activism, from Reclaim the Streets to Gay Pride to Greenham Common to Black Lives Matter. Woven through the collection are poems reflecting on the loss of her parents and profound change, love and celebration. Jackie will be in conversation with poet Joelle Taylor.
Monique Roffey
Trailblazing writer, lecturer, environmental activist, and winner of the Costa Book of the Year for The Mermaid of Black Conch, Monique Roffey talks to author Jacqueline Crooks about her new novel Passiontide, set on a fictional Caribbean island. A young female steel-pan player is found dead after the island's carnival, leading four women to ignite revolution and fearlessly challenge the impossibilities and dangers of being a woman in a rigged system.
Led By Donkeys
A vital reminder of the importance of direct action in turbulent times, Led By Donkeys will discuss their new book, Adventures in Art, Activism and Accountability, a stunning visual showcase of the group's artistic acts of resistance against years of inept, corrupt Conservative rule in Britain and which demonstrates how they continue to hold the powerful to account. They will be in conversation with journalist, author and artist Siân Pattenden.
For tickets click the 'Details' button to see options & prices.
Zandra Rhodes
Known for her creativity and individuality Dame Zandra Rhodes is one of the most significant figures in British fashion. She talks to Julia Wheeler about her archive of iconic garments, her life spent among rockstars and royalty, life-changing friendships and the highs and lows that come with being an era-defining designer. In this insightful memoir, Iconic, Zandra shares her life story for the first time.
EX-Prodigy Leeroy Thornhill
Leeroy Thornhill, ex-member of The Prodigy, talks to author and music journalist Miranda Sawyer about the story of the first decade of the band, from the earliest raves to Japan and the United States in the late 1990s, by which point the band were one of the biggest on the planet.
Jonnie Peacock MBE
Join Paralympic champion, Strictly Come Dancing star and You Can Do Anything! author, Jonnie Peacock, for an empowering and inspirational discussion about finding your happiness, chasing your dreams and being unstoppable. Jonnie will be talking about his experiences as a Paralympian and taking young people in the audience on a journey to get inspired, build confidence, overcome setbacks and learn that they can achieve anything, no matter what their abilities or ambitions might be.
Suitable for age 8–12
Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Accompanying adults need to purchase a ticket for this event.
Eliza Clark
Join Eliza Clark, author of Boy Parts and Penance, who will discuss her first collection of short stories, She's Always Hungry, with author Anna Bogutskaya. Expect the unsettling and revelatory, laced with a touch of horror and Eliza's signature dark humour.
Linton Kwesi Johnson
We are delighted to welcome Jamaican reggae poet, performer, activist and critic Linton Kwesi Johnson to perform a selection of his poetry and to talk about his latest book, Time Come, in conversation with author Jacqueline Crooks. One of the greatest writers and poets of our time, as well as a hugely respected activist, Linton's writerly output is prolific and profound, his career having begun in the 1970s when he first emerged as a revolutionary reggae poet.
Miranda Sawyer
Join author and broadcaster Miranda Sawyer as she runs through her fantastic assemblage of key music artists of the 1990s – Oasis, Blur, The Prodigy, Suede, Chemical Brothers, Radiohead, PJ Harvey and more. She talks to music journalist Siân Pattenden about a time when British music meant everything, and the mad exhilaration of being right in the thick of it.
Death and the Carpenter
Parrot Theatre Company presents Death and the Carpenter, a folk tale about death and love that combines performance, puppetry and live music to bring you an unforgettable evening of storytelling. Adapted from a short story of the same name by writer Sonia Overall.
Lara Maiklem
A gentle ode to nature, history and the simple art of looking and finding treasure in every season. With warmth and wisdom, the London Mudlark will be talking to Julia Wheeler about discovering hidden objects in the most overlooked part of the city, the secrets they reveal and the stories that are patiently waiting to be told.
David Sheppard
A sonic alchemist to the stars, Brian Eno's address book is a veritable who's who of rock and pop. On Some Faraway Beach is the first serious, critical examination of his life and music, from an idiosyncratic childhood to 1960s art school and the sharp end of pop charts around the world. The book's author, David Sheppard, will be talking to to Whitstable music journalist Michael O'Connell.
Tim Shipman
After No.1 bestsellers All Out War, Fall Out and No Way Out, the Sunday Times chief political commentator Tim Shipman talks to author, journalist and former Newsnight presenter Gavin Esler about Out!, the rollicking, unrestrained latest instalment in Tim's essential account of modern British political history, covering the Johnson years, through the tussles over the final Brexit deal to our shortest serving PM ever.
Ferdia Lennon
Winner of this year's Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, a tragicomic tale of two unemployed potters in ancient Syracuse who decide to stage two of Euripides' greatest tragedies in a quarry, using Athenian prisoners of war. A tale of brotherhood, war, art, and what happens when contemporary Irish dialect meets the ancients. With host Alex Preston.
Sarah Lonsdale
Historian Sarah Lonsdale brings to life the globe-trotting tales of five women who fought for the right to work in, enjoy and help to save the wild places of the earth. A journey from sub-Saharan Africa to the Peak District, it recounts the adventures of five pioneering women across five continents. With host Caroline Millar.
Danny Robins
Terrifying, fascinating and hilarious... don't miss an hour with Danny Robins sharing experiences from his book Into The Uncanny, a real-life adventure into the paranormal! Hear how and why he investigated four chilling cases that he hasn't explored on the TV series or the podcast – a poltergeist case in Rome, a haunted house in the English countryside, a compelling tale of possible contact with the dead and a truly unsettling UFO story.
For tickets click the 'Details' button to see options & prices.
Sarah Perry
Author of The Essex Serpent, Sarah Perry returns to Faversham for the closing event to the festival, in conversation with author and journalist Alex Preston. Her latest novel Enlightenment, longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024, is a story of love and astronomy told over the course of 20 years through the lives of two improbable best friends. Described by the Guardian as 'luxuriously – defiantly – old-fashioned' it is full of heartfelt wisdom about the stars, faith, friendship and unrequited love. A gem.
Faversham Literary Festival CIC