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Schools programme

The festival is supporting some major events in state schools across Oxford . We are working with schools to line up accessible, mind-expanding and inspiring sessions involving world-class authors and thinkers. All three schools, plus Cherwell school, will also receive free tickets  to Oxford Literary Festival events and can participate in the main festival through work experience, interviewing, and more. The festival is also e distributing some author’s books to pupils for free, ncluding £1,200 worth of books to the Swan School.

Oxford Academy School

Oxford Academy is based in Blackbird Leys, East Oxford. Their festival programme has a full day of events, including:

  • a vegan cookery workshop with chef Marlene Tara Watson
  • a talk on ghosts and vampires with Deborah Hyde (from BBC’s Uncanny)
  • a workshop with journalist Suzi Feay
  • a session with leading chidren’s author M G Leonard, whose books include Beetle Boy and Twitch
  • professional poker player and science writer Alex O’Brien (author of The Truth Detective) on thinking critically and developing the skills you need to navigate social media
  • an evening reception with Paterson Joseph, Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University and one of Britain’s best-known and acclaimed actors (recently featuring in BBC series Boat Story and the new film Wonka, as well as on stage at the RSC). Paterson will be interviewed by pupils from the school. Open to parents

The Swan School

The Swan school’s festival event was on February 7 and included Oxford philosopher and children’s author Stephen Law talking about thinking critically about ghosts, psychics, and alien abduction and professional poker player and science writer Alex O’Brien talking about critical thinking and the internet.

Greyfriars School

Greyfriars School festival involves a week of events in July, including actor and Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University Paterson Joseph (see above), philosopher Stephen Law and journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. The week will include interviews conducted by pupils and other interactive events.

The festival schools programme is generously supported by NETFLIX

The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

The Telegraph Festival media partner University of Oxford Netflix European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Cultural Relations Platform Supporter of the festival's Voices of Europe programme BBC World Service International radio partner Owen Mumford Supporter of programme of science and medicine and annual science and innovation award Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London Italian Embassy The Italian Embassy: supporter of the programme of Italian literature and culture The Dorchester Hotels Collection Festival London hotel partner International Literary Properties Festival literary heritage partner Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels Festival hotel Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Jim Mellon John Roberts Lady Hatch Patron donor for the programme of Irish literature and culture Tim and Marion Stevenson Martin and Elise Becket Smith Miles Young Masumi and Jonathan Dobson Pank Koria CEO of Project People Carole and John Allen David Isaac Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture Anna Hunter Rhys and Kerry Phillip Yale University Press London Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 New College New College founded 1379 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Lincoln College Lincoln College founded 1427 St Cross College St Cross College founded 1965 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 New Dutch Writing Critchleys Accountants to the festival Pasture to Plate Compassion in World Farming Human Ecology Project MACROVegan Symington Wines of the Douro Valley Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Sponsor of the EBRD Literature Prize since 2018 ROOMS Georgia's leading lifestyle hotel brand since 2012. Supporters of the programme of Georgian literature and culture Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Foodbuy Thje Menu Partners Institute of Hospitality Goldmoney Properties Project People Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Confucius Institute Pusey House British Academy Festival academic partner Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Oxford United Football Club Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design Paul Bloomfield Ltd University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Conference Oxford Felicity Bryan Associates CAV Oxford The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford University Images Oxford University Images Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Oxford Georgian Translation Project Supporter of the programme of Georgian literature and culture Force4Good Consultancy Corporate communications Voltaire Foundation OX magazine Ox in a Box K T Bruce Photography K T Bruce Photography The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Windrush Group James Currey Society