Page turners at Guildford Book Festival

Round & About

Guildford Book Festival revdeals the next chapter in its 36th year and as ever it includes a stellar array of guests at venues across the borough

Highlights of this year’s Guildford Book Festival programme include a legendary chef, a much-loved clergyman, a TV star, a politician and countless award-winning and best-selling authors starring between September 13th & Octber 19th. 

Raymond Blanc will share insights into the garden-to-table ethos he has pioneered at Oxfordshire’s gastronomic paradise Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons; former Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Surrey MP Sir Jeremy Hunt will discuss why he thinks it’s now or never for Britain to be great again; acclaimed Royal biographer Robert Hardman shines a light on Charles III, the monarch and the man; Reverend Richard Coles has the latest novel in his Sunday Times bestselling series and entertainer Stephen Mulhern has top tips for young magicians. 

Among the leading literary names are Clare Mulley whose Agent Zo has been shortlisted for the prestigious Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction and Women’s Prize Founder and bestselling author Kate Mosse shares her new Feminist History for Every Day of the Year.   

Andrew Morton examines the complex and enduring relationship between Winston Churchill and the House of Windsor, and Andrew Lownie explores the controversial lives of the Duke and Duchess of York.  

This year’s History Day takes place in the historic setting of Charterhouse School with  Valentine Low examining the political power of the monarchy; Daniel Swift on London’s first playhouse and the making of William Shakespeare and Festival favourite Alison Weir revealing the secret life of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.  

Mike Berners-Lee asks why, when we have the technology available to us for a cleaner and healthier future, we are still accelerating into a polycrisis of environmental and social strife?  And campaigner and activist Kwajo Tweneboa exposes our housing emergency and calls for action to rebuild.  

Each year Guildford Book Festival also runs a series of events to support budding writers.  Rachel Marsh returns with her ever-popular Creative Writing Course; authors Alice Fowler, Ally Sherrick, Louise Morrish, Sarah Hegarty and Jo Foat will provide tips on how to get published, and local author Alice Fowler will also lead a Nature Writing Workshop at Hatchlands Park.  

This year’s children’s programme is bigger than ever before and features interactive events with Alex Milway, Amanda Wood, Helen Peters, Peter Brown and more. In The Last Bard, superstar author Maz Evans takes younger readers on a whirlwind tour of Shakespeare’s greatest hits and their modern equivalents – in a hilarious, anarchic show for 7 to 12 year olds.