Petworth Literary Festival

Tickets on general sale 10 September

2026 Programme: 23 October - 7 november

  • Heather Morris

    The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse

    Friday
    23 October 2.30pm

    Leconfield Hall

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  • David Shukman

    The Response

    Friday
    23 October 5.00pm

    Leconfield Hall

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  • Sebastian Faulks

    Fairwell to Eden

    Friday
    23 October 7.30pm

    Leconfield Hall

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  • Jenny Mclachlan

    The Lost Dragon of Roar

    Saturday
    24 October 11am

    Leconfield Hall

  • Jeremy King

    Without Reservation

    Saturday
    24 October 2.30pm

    Leconfield Hall

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  • Kylie Fitzpatrick

    Tapestry

    Saturday
    24 October 5.00pm

    Leconfield Hall

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  • Tobias Ellwood

    Ten Steps to Prevent World War Three

    Saturday
    24 October 7.30pm

    Leconfield Hall

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  • Gyles Brandreth

    The Seven Secrets of a Hundred Year Life

    Sunday
    25 October 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Luke Harding

    Betrayal

    Sunday 25 October 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Peter James

    Dead in Three Two One

    Sunday 25
    October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Duncan Minshull

    Walk & Talk

    Tuesday
    27 October 3.30pm

    Petworth Park

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  • Paul de Zulueta

    Last Night I Dreamt …

    Tuesday
    27 October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Jim Al-Khalili

    On Time

    Wednesday
    28 October 12 noon

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Alexandra Shulman

    Black Coffee and Red Lipstick

    Wednesday
    28 October 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Christine Dawood

    96 hours

    Wednesday
    28 October 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Diana Henry

    Around the Table

    Wednesday
    28 October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Book Club Event - Rebecca Spargo

    Such a Nice Boy

    Thursday
    29 October 11:30am

    Upstairs at E. Street Bar & Grill

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  • Milli Proust

    How does your garden grow?

    Thursday
    29 October 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Jonathon Porritt

    Love, Anger & Betrayal

    Thursday
    29 October 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Mary Portas

    I Shop Therefore I am

    Thursday
    29 October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Victoria Hislop

    The Wine Dark Sea

    Friday
    30 October 12 noon

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Roger Mogan-Grenville

    The Restless Coast

    Friday
    30 October 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Robert Peston

    The Kill Switch

    Friday
    30 October 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Lynda Le Plante

    Sudden Death

    Friday
    30 October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Creative Writing Workshop - Julia Bell
    Creative Writing in an age of AI

    Saturday
    31 October 10.30am

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  • Sarah Raven

    A Year of Cut Flowers

    Saturday
    31 October 12 noon

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Julia Bell

    Creative Writing in the age of AI

    Saturday
    31 October 2.00pm

    Upstairs at E. Street Bar & Grill

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  • Iain MacGregor

    Battle: The History of Warfare from Ancient Greece to Ukraine

    Saturday
    31 October 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Dr Sian Williams

    The Power of Anxiety

    Saturday
    31 October 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Alistair McGowan

    Like Never Before

    Saturday
    31 October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Lady Hale & Richard Coker

    Do we have the right to die?

    Sunday
    1 November 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Discussion Event - The Meaning of Life

    James Bailey/Bonita Norris/Richard Farleigh

    Sunday
    1 November 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Nick Higham

    Mavericks

    Sunday
    1 November 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Simon Sebag Montefiore

    The Cauldron

    Tuesday
    3 November 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • John Boyne

    The Weight of the Angels

    Tuesday
    3 November 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Edward Abel-Smith

    A Hateful Decision

    Wednesday
    4 November 12 noon

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Max Hastings

    Plunder

    Wednesday
    4 November 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    https://petworthfestival.org.uk/max-hastings

  • Mike Batt

    The Closest thing to Crazy

    Wednesday
    4 November 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Stephen Sackur

    Hard Truth

    Wednesday
    4 November 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Luke Tyrrell

    My improved Binoculars

    Thursday
    5 November 11.30am

    Upstairs at E. Street Bar & Grill

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  • Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason

    To Be Young Gifted and Black

    Thursday
    5 November 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • The Non-Booker 1966 Prize

    Claire Armistead/Miranda Seymour/Naomi Kanakia/Henry Eliot

    Thursday
    5 November 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Nigel Planer

    Young Once

    Thursday
    5 November 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Kate Mosse

    Autumn

    Friday
    6 November 12 noon

    St Mary’s Church

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  • An Audience with Fergal Keane

    Friday
    6 November 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Julian Lloyd Webber

    Bows and Arrows

    Friday
    6 November 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Dame Margaret Hodge

    Battle Axe

    Friday
    6 November 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Michael Gove

    An audience with…

    Saturday
    7 November 12 noon

    Midhurst Rother College

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  • Prue Leith

    Being Old

    Saturday
    7 November 2.30pm

    Midhurst Rother College

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  • Rick Wakeman

    The Wizard of Prog

    Saturday
    7 November 5.00pm

    Midhurst Rother College

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Interviewers

  • Claire Armitstead

    Former Associate Editor (Culture), The Guardian

  • Katherine Bergen

    Journalist and columnist

  • Andrew Billen

    Feature Writer, The Times

  • Ann Bird

    Journalist and communications trainer

  • John Bridcut

    Documentary film maker

  • Stewart Collins

    Literary Director, Petworth Literary Festival

  • Con Coughlin

    Defence Editor, Daily Telegraph

  • Caroline Egremont

    Landscape and garden designer

  • Max Egremont

    Historian and President, Petworth Festival

  • Aimee Felus

    Chief Executive of Western Sussex Rivers Trust

  • Seni Glaister

    Novelist, founder and former CEO of The Book People and founder of WeFiFo ("We Find Food")

  • John Holmes

    Former Diplomat and Chair of the Electoral Commission

  • CC Humphreys

    Playwright and novelist

  • Hannah McInnes

    Interviewer, author and podcaster

  • Charlotte Metcalf

    Writer, journalist and podcaster

  • Lucasta Miller

    Author and literary journalist

  • Roger Morgan-Grenville

    Writer, speaker and campaigner on conservation

  • Mandy Morton

    Author and arts journalist

  • Douglas Rae

    Film and television producer, and funder of Ecosse Films

  • Manveen Rana

    Broadcaster, host of Times Radio podcast Stories of Our Times

  • Gilly Smith

    Award-winning food writer and podcaster

  • Davis Soskin

    Senior Business Executive and government policy advisor

  • Matt Stadlen

    Broadcaster and journalist

  • Nicola Upson

    Novelist

  • Nick Watt

    Political Editor, BBC Newsnight

  • Carol Woolton

    Contributing editor British Vogue, and host of podcast If Jewels Could Talk