An A to Z guide to what’s on at this year’s Henley Literary Festival

THE 18th annual Henley Literary Festival takes place from September 28 to October 6, in Henley and online, with more than 120 events for adults and children. With so much going on, here is an A-Z guide.

A is for Authors: A total of 167 of them to be precise speaking at this year’s festival, including actors, broadcasters, comedians, cooks, fashion experts, historians, illustrators, journalists, novelists, poets, politicians, scientists, sports stars and so many more.

B is for Books: Henley’s beloved independent Bell Bookshop will not only be busy in store but will be popping up at each event so you can purchase a copy and get it signed.

C is for Comedians: The town’s growing comedy scene — from Honk! at the Relais and the Henley Festival to charity stand-up shows at the Argyll and aboard the Hibernia — extends to the literary festival with Julian Clary, Rosie Holt, Leigh Francis and Danny Wallace all discussing their latest books.

D is for Doctors: Rachel Clarke, palliative care doctor and bestselling author of Dear Life and Breathtaking, will be in discussion with Dr Jim Down about her new book, telling the true story of an extraordinary heart transplant.

E is for Experts: From space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock on the solar system and government adviser Nigel Toon on artificial intelligence to former chief of general staff Lord Dannatt on D-Day, Kate Muir and Dr Louise Newsom on the Pill and Wainwright-winner John Lewis Stempel with his natural history of England, the literary festival offers a chance to hear from some of the most respected minds in their fields.

F is for Food and drink: In addition to Henley’s regular outlets enjoying increased footfall there are two pop-ups located right by the venues with the welcome return of the Henley Larder, with locally sourced sandwiches, pastries and Anonymous Coffee by the marquee at Phyllis Court and the Gower Cottage Brownies van in Market Place.

G is for Green fingers: A trio of gardening gurus will grace Henley with their presence. Sarah Raven talks to The Home Page’s Jessica Jonzen about A Year Full of Pots while Gardeners’ World presenters Rachel de Thame and Carol Klein will be in conversation with Saga gardening editor Lucy Hall.

H is for History: Travel through millennia and continents with talks including Zeinab Badawi on the history of Africa, Alison Weir on Mary I, William Dalrymple on Ancient India and Rick Stroud on the women of the resistance in the First World War.

I is for Interviewers: Among those chairing conversations this year include broadcasters Gaby Roslin, Steve Rider and Leah Boleto, actors Simon Williams and Harriet Walter, novelists Amanda Jennings, James Scudamore and Cesca Major, and Olympic icon Katherine Grainger.

J is for Jhalak Prize: The festival teams up once again with the prestigious book award for writers of colour in the UK and Ireland, for a special event that sees 2024 winner Yepoka Yeebo in conversation with the prize’s founder Sunny Singh.

K is for Kids: From toddlers to teens, the children’s programme caters for all, with highlights including The Legend of the Wild West Twins, a Beano comics workshop, Supertato and British Book Award winner MG Leonard.

L is for Local writers: Alongside authors from all over the UK, Ireland, Turkey and the US, the festival features many speakers who call Henley home, including professor Richard Fortey, Toni Ilsley, novelists Kirsty Dougall and Scott Leigh, photographer Jim Donahue and Anthony Wootton with an inspiring Second World War story.

M is for Michaels: National treasures Palin and Rosen both return to the festival. Sir Michael returns for the first time in 12 years with the latest edition of his diaries, and poet and Radio 4 regular Michael Rosen will be in conversation with podcaster Emma Gannon.

N is for News: The festival regularly attracts the attention of the national media, including Radio 2, The Sun, Good Housekeeping, Saga and The Independent — and over the years its talks have made front page headlines in the Daily Mail, Telegraph and Times.

O is for Oxfam: Each year the Duke Street charity shop delves through its shelves to create a wonderful window featuring books by as many authors appearing at the festival as they can find.

P is for Poetry: National Poetry Day is October 3 this year, coinciding with the literary festival, and fittingly several much-loved poets will appear over the week, from veterans Roger McGough and Pam Ayres to outgoing Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and the country’s current bestselling poet Donna Ashworth.

Q is for Queen Elizabeth II: Two years after her passing, the late monarch remains at the forefront of two events. Royal expert Ingrid Seward discusses the relationship between her and son King Charles, while humorist Craig Brown reveals lesser-known stories from her record-breaking reign.

R is for Runners: Fresh from his fourth Paralympics, London 2012 gold medalist Jonnie Peacock presents a special all-ages event around his first book You Can Do Anything, while former world champion sprinter Iwan Thomas discusses his long-awaited autobiography. If you prefer runners of the four-legged variety, international bestseller Felix Francis follows in father Dick’s footsteps with another racetrack thriller.

S is for Schools: This year’s schools programme includes How To Train Your Dragon creator Cressida Cowell, illustrator Petr Horacek and Jacqueline Wilson, with local schoolchildren attending in-person and thousands more across the UK watching for free online.

T is for Trade: Many restaurants, cafés and retailers report their busiest week of the year as thousands of residents and visitors attend events in the town each day.

U is for Umbrellas: Hopefully the least-spotted of any on the list, for the first time there will be literary festival branded umbrellas available should any authors need protection from rain on the way to their talks.

V is for Venues: This year sees some 40 events taking place at the Travelbag Marquee at Phyllis Court — all of which are also livestreamed — and around 80 at the Gower Cottage Brownies Stage at Henley town hall.

W is for Wombles: Mike Batt will be joining former BBC Berkshire host Bill Buckley to discuss his unique musical career that includes producing Cliff Richard, writing Bright Eyes, discovering Katie Melua — and fronting The Wombles in their chart-topping Seventies run.

X is for Number 10: X is 10 in Roman numerals and perhaps the most famous 10 in the country is the Downing Street door. Anthony Seldon returns to the festival with the latest in his series of Prime Ministerial biographies, Truss at 10, on the shortest reign yet of just 49 days — or XLIX in numerals.

Y is for You: A big thanks to the people of Henley and the hundreds of visitors to the town and attendees online, as without your support there simply would not be a Henley Literary Festival.

Z is for Zandra: From opening her first store with a loan from Vanessa Redgrave to designing clothes for Freddie Mercury and Princess Diana, Dame Zandra Rhodes will reflect on her life in fashion.