The 17th Marlborough LitFest (24-27 September 2026) offers a packed weekend of literary treats for all, including debut and established fiction, non-fiction, poetry, writing workshops, a literary walk, the annual Big Town Read, children’s authors and free events for families, plus LitFest’s annual schools outreach programme. In this National Year of Reading, the festival has focused on spreading the joy of reading to as many school children as possible, inviting more than 1500 pupils to free LitFest author events in Marlborough, Pewsey, Calne and Devizes.
This year’s festival line-up includes: historian and educationalist Sir Anthony Seldon on Sunak at 10, the latest in his definitive series of political biographies of modern British prime ministers; 2026 LitFest Golding Speaker, acclaimed author Sebastian Faulks, introducing his new novel, Farewell to Eden; Sathnam Sanghera on the legacy of George Michael in Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The Meaning of George Michael; Jeremy Hunt discussing his new book Can We Be Rich Again? The Surprising Potential of Britain’s Economy; and, making a welcome return to Marlborough after her 2024 festival debut, Chloe Dalton who will introduce the illustrated children’s edition of her bestselling book Raising Hare at a special family event.
The festival is a feast for fiction lovers: award-winning novelist Kit de Waal will be here to answer your questions about this year’s Big Town Read, The Best of Everything; Benjamin Wood, “one of the finest British novelists of his generation” (Johanna Thomas-Corr, chief literary critic for The Times and The Sunday Times), will be discussing his fifth novel Seascraper, winner of this year’s Nero Book Award for fiction and also longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize alongside fellow LitFest attendee Tash Aw’s “exquisite, languorous” (The Observer), The South.
Two LitFest novelists summon literary giants: in The Golden Hours, Louisa Young takes on the mantle of the much-loved Cazalet Chronicles from her aunt Elizabeth Jane Howard, while in The Daffodil Days, debut author Helen Bain delivers an “astonishing” (The Guardian) portrait of Sylvia Plath.
LitFest’s 2026 non-fiction line-up encompasses topics ranging from art and agriculture to Britain’s geology and railways, and genres from history and biography, to philosophy and travel: two Wiltshire farming titans, Helen Browning OBE and Baroness Minette Batters, will take to the LitFest stage together to give us a better understanding of how British farming really works. WWII fans can choose between the secret race among the Allies in 1945 to seize the revolutionary V-2 rocket (Stealing Hitler’s Rocket), and the true account of wartime derring-do with the great-grandson of a British wartime airman (Operation Pimento). Punctuation pedants will love Florence Hazrat’s latest book, On the Mark, about how punctuation has been at the heart of human communication throughout history. Audiences can discover the myth and folklore hidden within Britain’s roots with author and broadcaster Zakia Sewell, and The Forgotten History of Easter Island with local Wiltshire archaeologist, Mike Pitts. Or gain new insights into historical figures: Last Night I Dreamt is a personal biography of Daphne du Maurier by her grandson, Paul de Zulueta; in Muv, Rachel Trethewey turns her gaze on the formidable Mitford sisters’ mother, Syndney, Lady Redesdale, while, in The Rebel and the Peacemaker, Geraldine Roberts tells the story of Mary and Charles Bagot, the first British ambassadors to America. In search of a new adventure? Be inspired by Muscovite expat lawyer Michael Pugh’s epic journey on horseback through Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Romania in the summer of 2014, recounted in Riding through War and Peace. LitFest offers a Wise philosophy for mid-life with author and clinical psychologist Frank Tallis or Gardens That Can Save the World with garden designer Lottie Delamain. Thespians can be transported back to The Tudor Theatre with Nick Fogg and across the world as Daniel Hahn examines Shakespeare in translation in If This Be Magic. Fans of William Golding can indulge in an afternoon of archival delight with Tim Kendall, editor of The Faber Letters, in conversation with Golding’s daughter, Judy Carver. This collection of letters charts the relationship between the author who lived on The Green in Marlborough and Charles Montieth, his editor at Faber, over a period of 40 years.
Festival bookish favourites return for 2026 with Poetry in the Pub and Prose in the Pub, as well as the Translation Duel – this year in Polish. An illustrated sketchbook workshop makes its LitFest debut with artist Emma Leyfield, while a Wootton Rivers ramble with Annabel Streets, bestselling author of The Walking Cure, will extol the health benefits of stepping out. And we have the singing Bishop of St Albans, Dr Andrew Rumsey (formerly of this parish), performing his new album Blank Arcades.
With a mix of ticketed and free events, LitFest offers something for all the family this year. From 18 September, enjoy spotting Once Upon a Trail books hidden in shop windows along the High Street or take part in free music and theatre performances from Tall Tales Theatre in Pewsey and Marlborough libraries. There will be free story-themed craft activities with Aldbourne Children’s Book Group and free Storytelling on offer at The Parade Cinema during the festival weekend.
Marlborough LitFest’s outreach to local schools is an integral part of its annual programme, funded by donations and ticket sales. This year, children’s authors Maz Evans, Ross Montgomery, Emily Randall-Jones and Onjali Q Rauf will share their stories with 1500 primary schoolchildren in Marlborough, Pewsey, Calne and Devizes. Once again LitFest is running a primary schools’ writing competition and entries will be on display in the Town Hall during LitFest weekend. For secondary pupils, St John’s Marlborough hosts The Big School Read with Crookhaven author JJ Arcanjo; St John’s will also provide the popular Sixth Form Debate in the Town Hall during LitFest.
In ticketed children’s events, children’s author Sue Hendra will talk about her bestselling Supertato series of picture books, with everyone getting to make their own veggie superhero to take home. Renowned comic artist Kev F Sutherland (whose portfolio includes The Beano) will lead two workshops for aspiring artists and storytellers to create their very own comic strip. LitFest is delighted to welcome author Chloe Dalton back to LitFest to introduce her new illustrated children’s edition of her international bestselling book, Raising Hare, aimed at children aged 8-12.
Mary-Vere Parr, Festival Chair, said: “After months of planning it is a real joy to share the full 2026 LitFest line-up. We hope that you will be as intrigued, inspired and entertained by our authors and their books as we are. Roll on September and a very warm Marlborough welcome to them all.”
LitFest audiences are encouraged to sign up as a 2026 Friend of LitFest by Friday 26 June, in order to gain priority booking for festival tickets.
Priority booking for Friends of LitFest opens on Monday 29 June; general booking opens on Friday 10 July. Festival brochures will be available at The White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough or to view online; for more information, visit www.marlboroughlitfest.org
Marlborough LitFest would like to thank its 2026 sponsors for their support: founder sponsor Robert Hiscox; main event sponsor St Mary’s and St Margaret’s Calne; event sponsors: Brearley & Rich; Fine & Country; Hamilton Trust; The Little Gallery; Mcfarlane Property; Wansbroughs LLP; William Golding Limited; general sponsors and grants: The Arts Society Kennet & Swindon; Cocklebury Farm; Haine & Smith Opticians; Marlborough Town Council.
—ENDS—