Petworth Literary Festival

Tickets on general sale

Booking Information:‍ ‍

Online bookings for all events close three hours before the event start time. If tickets remain available, they can be purchased on the door.

2026 Literary Festival Brochure

New for 2026: The Petworth Literary Festival HUB

We’re delighted to open our new Festival HUB at Leconfield Hall, Petworth. The HUB is the place to browse and buy books featured at this year’s Festival, meet friends, enjoy a coffee, pick up a programme and find out more about events. You can also buy tickets, Tuesday to Friday from 10.30am to 1pm.

The HUB is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.30am to 6.30pm, until Friday 6 November.

2026 Programme: 23 October - 7 november

  • David Shukman

    The Response

    Friday
    23 October 5.00pm

    Leconfield Hall

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  • Heather Morris

    The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse

    Friday
    23 October 7.30pm

    Leconfield Hall

    Click Here

  • Jenny McLachlan

    The Lost Dragon of Roar

    Saturday
    24 October 11am

    Leconfield Hall

  • Jeremy King

    Without Reservation

    #soldout

    Saturday

    24 October 2.30pm

    Leconfield Hall

    Click Here

  • Kylie Fitzpatrick

    Tapestry

    Saturday
    24 October 5.00pm

    Leconfield Hall

    Click Here

  • Tobias Ellwood

    Ten Steps to Prevent World War Three

    #soldout



    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

    #soldout

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Luke Harding

    Betrayal

    Sunday 25 October 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

    #soldout

    Click Here

  • Peter James

    Dead in Three Two One

    Sunday 25
    October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Duncan Minshull

    Walk & Talk - LitFestPlus

    Tuesday
    27 October 3.30pm

    Petworth Park. Meeting Point - Petworth House Church Lodge.

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  • Paul de Zulueta

    Last Night I Dreamt …

    Tuesday
    27 October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    #soldout

    Click Here

  • Jim Al-Khalili

    On Time

    Wednesday
    28 October 12 noon

    St Mary’s Church

    #soldout

    Click Here

  • Alexandra Shulman

    Black Coffee and Red Lipstick

    Wednesday
    28 October 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Diana Henry

    Around the Table

    Wednesday
    28 October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Milli Proust

    How Does Your Garden Grow?

    Thursday
    29 October 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    Click Here

  • 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

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Victoria Hislop

    The Wine Dark Sea

    Friday
    30 October 12 noon

    St Mary’s Church

    #soldout

    Click Here

  • Roger Morgan-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

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Lynda La Plante

    Sudden Death

    Friday
    30 October 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • Julia Bell

    Writing from Life: A Memoir Workshop - LitFestPlus

    Saturday
    31 October 10.30am

    Upstairs at E. Street Bar & Grill

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Sarah Raven

    A Year of Cut Flowers

    Saturday
    31 October 12 noon

    St Mary’s Church

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

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

    Saturday
    31 October 2.00pm

    Upstairs at E. Street Bar & Grill

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Iain MacGregor

    Battle: The History of Warfare from Ancient Greece to Ukraine

    Saturday
    31 October 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    Click Here

  • Dr Sian Williams

    The Power of Anxiety

    Saturday
    31 October 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • 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

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Discussion Event - The Meaning of Life - LitFestPlus

    James Bailey/Bonita Norris/Richard Farleigh

    Sunday
    1 November 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

    Click Here

  • Nick Higham

    Mavericks

    Sunday
    1 November 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    Click Here

  • Simon Sebag Montefiore

    The Cauldron

    #soldout

    Tuesday
    3 November 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

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  • John Boyne

    The Weight of Angels

    Tuesday
    3 November 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Edward Abel-Smith

    A Hateful Decision

    Wednesday
    4 November 12 noon

    St Mary’s Church

    Click Here

  • Max Hastings

    Plunder

    Wednesday
    4 November 2.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    #soldout

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

  • Mike Batt

    The Closest thing to Crazy

    Wednesday
    4 November 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

    Click Here

  • Stephen Sackur

    Hard Truth

    Wednesday
    4 November 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    #sellingfast

    See more

    Click Here

  • Luke Tyrrell

    My Improved Binoculars - LitFestPlus

    Thursday
    5 November 11.30am

    Upstairs at E. Street Bar & Grill

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason

    To Be Young Gifted and Black

    Thursday
    5 November 2.30pm

    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

    #soldout

    Click Here

  • Julian Lloyd Webber

    Bows and Arrows

    Friday
    6 November 5.00pm

    St Mary’s Church

    Click Here

  • Dame Margaret Hodge

    Battle Axe

    Friday
    6 November 7.30pm

    St Mary’s Church

    Click Here

  • Michael Gove

    An audience with…

    Saturday
    7 November 12 noon

    Midhurst Rother College

    #soldout

    Click Here

  • Prue Leith

    Being Old

    Saturday
    7 November 2.30pm

    Midhurst Rother College

    #sellingfast

    Click Here

  • Rick Wakeman

    The Wizard of Prog

    Saturday
    7 November 5.00pm

    Midhurst Rother College

    Click Here

  • Sebastian Faulks

    Farewell to Eden

    Saturday
    7 November 7.30pm

    Midhurst Rother College

    Click Here

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

  • Chris Humphreys

    Playwright and novelist

  • Charlotte Metcalf

    Writer, journalist and podcaster

  • 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

  • David 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