Cheltenham Literature Festival 2025 line-up announced

BBC News

7 hours ago

Dame Joanna Lumley and Tulisa Contostavlos are among the celebrities to be announced in this year's line-up at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.First held in 1949 and thought to be the world's oldest literature festival, the event will feature talks and discussions from authors, journalists and public figures.More than 400 events are planned between 10-19 October, including talks from Graham Norton, Katie Piper, Sir Michael Palin, and BBC director general Tim Davie.Dame Joanna, star of Absolutely Fabulous, will be interviewed about her forthcoming book, and Contostavlos, of The X Factor and N-Dubz fame, will talk about Judgement, her new book detailing the highs and lows of her career.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Women's Prize for Fiction winner, children's author Dame Jacqueline Wilson and Ian McEwan, author of Atonement, will also be part of the event.Numerous TV and film stars will gather in Cheltenham over the ten days, including Richard Curtis, creator of Love Actually, and Gavin and Stacey actors Joanna Page and Larry Lamb, with the latter also appearing with his son, George, to present his debut novel All Wrapped Up.Some of the talks will look at social issues, with Rizzle Kicks star Jordan Stephens questioning if masculinity is in crisis alongside writers Laura Bates and James Bloodworth.Other names announced include food writer Nigel Slater, former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg, wildlife photographer Hamza Yassin, Olympic gold medallist Sir Bradley Wiggins, and French chef Raymond Blanc.