The 2026 Petworth Literary Festival brings together an exceptional line-up of leading authors, thinkers and storytellers…

23 OCTOBER - 7 NOVEMBER 2026

The Line-up Alongside Sebastian Faulks, Lynda La Plant and Prue Leith this year’s speakers include Victoria Hislop, John Boyne, Robert Peston, Fergal Keane, Stephen Sackur, Dame Margaret Hodge, Michael Gove, Mary Portas, Diana Henry, Max Hastings, Julian Lloyd Webber, Nigel Planer, Kate Mosse and Rick Wakeman, with many more.

2026 is the National Year of Reading and the festival celebrates the extraordinary breadth of books, ideas and stories, from fiction and memoir to politics, history, food, music and culture.

The Interviewers The festival will once again be joined by an experienced team of interviewers, bringing their expertise and insight to a programme of engaging conversations with this year’s authors and speakers..An illustrious team of journalists that includes Andrew Billen, Manveen Rana, Con Coughlin, Claire Armistead, Katherine Bergen and Matt Stadlen. Who will put the authors through their paces…

Discover something different with LitFestPlus New for 2026 is LitFestPlus, a strand of events designed to explore books, literature and ideas from a different perspective. Alongside the Festival’s programme, LitFestPlus offers audiences the chance to discover something new, with events ranging from creative writing in the age of AI to the awarding of a ‘non-Booker Prize’ celebrating the remarkable year in literature that was 1966.

With a programme of fascinating conversations, lively debate and plenty of opportunities to discover something new, this year’s Festival promises something for every kind of reader. Tickets now on sale!