Sathnam Sanghera and Louisa Young added to 2026 line-up

Bringing the legacy of George Michael and a new instalment of the beloved Cazalet Chronicles to the 17^th Marlborough LitFest this year will be bestselling author Sathnam Sanghera and novelist Louisa Young, from 24 – 27 September 2026.

The award-winning author of Empireland and a repeat visitor to Marlborough LitFest, Sathnam Sanghera’s latest book, Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The Meaning of George Michael, is a kaleidoscopic portrait of one of Britain’s best loved musicians. Part biography, part social commentary of Britain in the 80s and 90s, Sanghera explores the extraordinary life and legacy of the late pop icon through issues of fame, sexuality, identity, immigration and belonging.

Author Louisa Young carries the family torch following in the footsteps of her aunt Elizabeth Jane Howard’s iconic Cazalet Chronicles. Continuing the story of one of the most beloved families in British literature, familiar faces reappear and the legacy of the Cazalets carries on into the Swinging Sixties in The Golden Hours – the first of a new Cazalet trilogy. According to the Sunday Telegraph, “the Cazalets have earned an honoured place among the great saga families”.

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.

Marlborough LitFest has already announced historian and educationalist Sir Anthony Seldon, award-winning novelist Kit de Waal and 2026 Golding Speaker, Sebastian Faulks for its 2026 festival programme. Marlborough LitFest will return for its 17th year from 24–27 September; the full programme will be available in late June and tickets go on sale from early July.