Lavenham Literary Festival – Ancient buildings, modern conversations

9th Lavenham Literary Festival

Friday 13 – Sunday 15 November 2026

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Tickets for the Literary Dinner will go on sale on 14 September at 10am via The Swan at Lavenham’s website

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A Celebration of Reading in an Ancient setting

Tickets are now on sale for the 9^th Lavenham Literary Festival from 13-15 November.

We have a fabulous array of literary talent in one of Britain’s most iconic medieval villages.

Tickets for the Literary Dinner will be on sale in September. Subscribers to our newsletter will be the first to hear how to purchase Literary Dinner tickets.

Scroll down to discover the line-up of speakers and start planning your festival weekend.

Andrew Lownie is a celebrated author of a number of eminent biographies. His latest book Entitled is the best-selling biography of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.

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Nick Wallis is an award-winning journalist whose work uncovering the Post Office Horizon scandal was nominated for awards. He has now written The Great Post Office Scandal.

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Kate Mosse is a prolific British novelist selling over 8 million copies worldwide. Her new book Autumn will be published soon.

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Vaseem Khan is an award-winning British crime writer of more than 20 novels. He will be talking about the latest novel A Quantum of Menace involving ‘Q’ the boffin from the James Bond novels as well as conducting a workshop in ‘How to write Crime’. Fiction.

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Thomas Harding is a bestselling non-fiction author. His latest book The Einstein Vendetta explores the Nazi’s persecution of Einstein’s family as the war draws to a close.

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Jerry Brotton is a leading expert in cartography, Jerry’s books A History of the World in 12 Maps and Four Points of the Compass offer a fascinating insight into how we see the world.

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Dianne Boucher’s latest book Out of the Shadows is a biography of Maria Cosway, an extraordinary Italian English artist and educator.

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Rachel Joyce is a British novelist and playwright her debut novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was long listed for the Booker prize.

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Ashley Hickson-Lovence is an author, poet and lecturer. His books include Why I’m Not a Bus Driver, Wild East and About to Fall Apart.

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Milly Ellis worked for 15 years with Michael Gambon and has published The Great Gambon, a fascinating insight into one of our greatest actors.

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Colin Sell is best known as the put-upon pianist from the BBC’s long running comedy programme, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue

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James Canton is the author of Renaturing. His writing focuses on the intersection of nature, literature and the environment.

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Janet Suzman is renowned for her portrayal of Shakespeare’s heroines especially Cleopatra in Anthony and Cleopatra. Here she will share her thoughts on whether the ’Serpent of the Nile’ could have been played by a boy.

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Harry Bucknall discusses his book A Road for All Seasons describing his journey through the U.K. at The Guildhall, Lavenham.

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Richard Negus discusses his book Words from the Hedge, a Hedgelayer’s View of the Countryside in the Little Hall, Lavenham.

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Paul Thompson from our sponsors Birketts Law Firm brings his considerable expertise to discuss how the law and literature are irrevocably entwined. Proceeds from this event will go to EACH.

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Esther Freud, one of the country’s most distinguished novelists discusses her most recent novel My Sister and other Lovers with Janet Ellis.

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Paul Venables, a trained Jungian psychoanalyst discusses Rachel Joyce’s latest book The Homemade God.

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Janet Ellis author, broadcaster and television presenter, famously known for co-hosting the BBC’s Blue Peter discusses the works of Esther Freud and Colin Sell.

Purchase tickets with Esther Freud
Purchase tickets with Colin Sell

Evan Davis one of our foremost current affairs anchors and also a former presenter of the BBC’s Dragons Den discusses the Great British Post Office Scandal with Nick Wallis.

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