Full programme announcement for the Cheltenham Literature Festival 2022

The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival 2022 is delighted to announce this year’s unmissable programme, with more than 500 events and close to 1,000 authors and speakers promising an international literary celebration like no other.

From Friday 7 to Sunday 16 October, the world’s foremost writers, thinkers and performers will descend on our vibrant spa town, The Festival Town, when the Festival village returns to the heart of regency Cheltenham, for a jam-packed week of fascinating discussion and unforgettable memories.

With something to cater to all – from avid bookworms to first time visitors – the dynamic programme spans history, food, travel, poetry and spoken word, art, sport, faith, philosophy, fashion, psychology, science, nature, business and much more. The best new voices in fiction and poetry will appear alongside literary giants and high-profile speakers, political thinkers, and beloved stars of the stage and screen.

Cheltenham Literature Festival 2022 lineup

We will not keep you waiting any longer. Drum roll please! 

A M Homes | Amy Jeffs | Anne Enright | Anton Du Beke | Ardal O’Hanlon | Arqam | Asma KhanBonnie Garmus | Bono | Clive Myrie | Caroline O'Donoghue | Charlie Mackesy | Davina McCall | Chloë Ashby | Chris Patten | Christie Watson | Damon Galgut | David Dimbleby | Dolly Alderton | Elizabeth Strout | Erika Fatland | Erinch Sahan | Ferren Gipson | Gabby Logan | Graham Norton | Geoff Dyer | Hollie McNish | Howard Jacobson | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall | Ian James Cahill | Jeremy Hunt | Jessie Burton | John Walsh | Karl Ove Knausgård | Kate Humble | Kimberly McIntosh | Laura Bates | Leo Houlding | Lyuba Yakimchuk | Maddie Mortimer | Malorie Blackman | Marina Hyde | Mieko Kawakami | Monica Ali | Nadiya Hussain | Nanjala Nyabola | Natalie Haynes | Nathan Law | Nick Cave | Nikki May | Oksana Zabuzhko| Olia Hercules | Pragya Agarwal | Raynor Winn | Richard Coles | Richard Osman | Roddy Doyle | Rory Cormac| Sarah Gerrard-Jones | Sophie Ellis-Bextor & Richard Jones | Stanley Tucci | Stephen King | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Thomasina Miers | Tina Brown | Victoria Hislop | Yiyun Li

Images feature Lenny Henry, Stephen King and Yvette Fielding

VOICEBOX

Dr Alex George | Florence Given | Tiwalola Ogunlesi | Hussain Manawer | Alexis Caught | Francis Bourgeois  | Charlie Craggs | Roxie Nafousi | Travis Alabanza | Natalie and Naomi Evans | Yomi Sode | Emily Russell  | Joelle Taylor | Deanna Rodgers | Felicity Hayward | Thembe Mvula | Monika Radojevic| Emma-Louise Boynton | Ione Gamble | Dominique Palmer

GUEST CURATORS:

Celeste Ng | Inua Ellams | Katy Hessel | Justin Webb | Clarisse Loughrey | The Week Junior | The International Book Arsenal Festival, Kyiv | Resident Literary Explorer: Ann Morgan

FAMILY PROGRAMME:

Joseph Coelho | Lydia Monks | Lenny Henry | A F Steadman | Michael Morpurgo | Onjali Q Raúf | Nick Butterworth | Andy Griffiths | Nick Sharratt  | Maggie Aderin-Pocock | Benjamin Dean | Emma Carroll | Greg James | Michael Rosen  | Jonathan Stroud | Cressida Cowell | Jasbinder Bilan | Alexis Caught | Andy Griffiths | Rachel Bright | Nina Chakrabarti | Hannah Gold | Mama G | Greg Jenner  | Oliver Jeffers | Tom Percival | Christine Pillainayagam

Images feature Sophie Ellis-Baxtor, Gaby Logan and Jeremy Hunt

This year, in a continuation of the Festival’s 3-year ‘Read the World’ theme – which offers a passport to a world of ideas – there will be a dedicated Ukraine Day (Tuesday 11 October) co-curated with The International Book Arsenal Festival, Kyiv, celebrating the country’s unique, rich culture and highlighting the impact of the ongoing conflict on those personally affected. These events are part of the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture organised in partnership with the British Council and the Ukrainian Institute.

An insight-packed current affairs programme – bolstered by top journalists from The Times, The Sunday Times, and Times Radio teams – offers answers to timely questions such as: What do we deserve from our political leaders? What is the relationship between state secrecy and civilian-led investigative work, and is there still a role to be played by the state in concealing sensitive information? What is the true cost of our social media obsession? And what can women in power teach us about leadership?

Cheltenham has a proud history of giving emerging writers their first major platform and the Festival’s support of the next generation of talent continues. The popular Debuts and Cocktails session returns, with a selection of the year’s best first novels showcased on the opening night, while Proof Parties give audiences a chance to discover a new novelist before they’re even published. Winning and shortlisted authors from the 2022 Desmond Elliott Prize for debut novelists will also appear, giving readers a chance to get to know the brightest new literary talent, and New Blood: Crime and Thriller Authors to Watch will showcase the hottest new names in the genre.

Following its launch at last year’s festival, VOICEBOX – Cheltenham Literature Festival’s acclaimed new programme and venue – is back. Dedicated to bringing youth voices to the forefront, it will host free talks, workshops, panels, DJ sets and music, shining a light on the biggest names and rising stars.  As well as spoken word, poetry and performance from local and national young talent, events will explore topics and trends that matter to young people, including mental health and wellbeing, activism, and LGBTQ+ experiences, and there will be a film night hosted by guest curator Clarisse Loughrey. Meanwhile, charging into its seventh year in Cheltenham, for one night only Lit Crawl takes over the streets for a free, fast-paced evening of pop-up events and quirky literary happenings. Across surprising locations including record stores, cafes, tattoo parlours and barbershops, the crawl gives a platform to young and emerging comedians, authors, poets and performers including a moving spoken word session with Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees.

The lively Festival village is the perfect setting for a family day out with a bumper programme of events, free activities and workshops, featuring the greatest storytellers and illustrators, sure to inspire a love of reading in children of all ages and stages.

The Festival’s flagship education programme Reading Teachers = Reading Pupils, annually reaches 9,000 pupils across the country through a network of teachers’ book groups who read high-quality, diverse children’s literature. This year’s Conference, featuring authors and literacy experts, will empower teachers to bring these books to life in the classroom and inspire reading for pleasure amongst their pupils. Furthermore, this year will see the culmination of Beyond Words, a creative writing project for vulnerable young people unable to access mainstream education in Gloucestershire. Created by writer and poet Caleb Parkin in consultation with previous students, a new creative writing for wellbeing resource launches at VOICEBOX.

Booking dates - Cheltenham Literature Festival 2022

Booking for the Literature Festival opens to Cheltenham Festivals Members on Wednesday 31 August

General booking opens on Wednesday 7 September

Cheltenham Literature Festival 2022 brochure

View the online brochure and follow along on social media for the latest updates - #CheltLitFest | @cheltfestivals

Plan your stay for the Cheltenham Literature Festival 2022

Hotels always fill up quickly for this popular annual event. The Visit Cheltenham team recommend you book your accommodation in advance to avoid disappointment. October is a truly beautiful time of year to visit Cheltenham. Why not extend your stay and discover our Regency spa town and the nearby Cotswolds, historical city of Gloucester and the Forest of Dean. The following guides will help plan your stay - 

Hotels in Cheltenham | Unmissable things to do in Cheltenham | Restaurants & bars in Cheltenham | Weekend in Cheltenham and the Cotswolds | Spa break in Cheltenham | Cheltenham weekend itineraries | What's on in Cheltenham | Festivals in Cheltenham | Staycations in Cheltenham | Shopping in Cheltenham