Current Affairs | Oxford Literary Festival

Ben Okri, Suzanna Crampton and Graham Harvey

BBC World Service Recording: Food and Storytelling
Oxford University Mathematical Institute: Lecture Theatre 1 4:00pm Sat 30 Saturday, 30 March 2019 See this event
George Monbiot

Out of the Wreckage: A New Politics for an Age of Crisis
Sheldonian Theatre 6:00pm Sat 30 Saturday, 30 March 2019 See this event
Mary Robinson Interviewed by Nick Higham

Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future
Sheldonian Theatre 10:00am Sun 31 Sunday, 31 March 2019 See this event
David Nott Interviewed by Hannah Beckerman

War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line SOLD OUT
St Cross College 10:00am Sun 31 Sunday, 31 March 2019 See this event
Cameron Hepburn and Kirk Hamilton Chaired by Ian Goldin

National Wealth: What is Missing, Why it Matters
Oxford Martin School: Seminar Room 12:00pm Tue 2 Tuesday, 2 April 2019 See this event
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

In Defence of Political Correctness
Bodleian: Divinity School 2:00pm Tue 2 Tuesday, 2 April 2019 See this event
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Ariane Sherine

The Oxford Debates: Is it Time to Reinvent Me Too?
Weston Lecture Theatre 6:00pm Tue 2 Tuesday, 2 April 2019 See this event
Alan Rusbridger Interviewed by Matthew Stadlen

Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Sheldonian Theatre 10:00am Wed 3 Wednesday, 3 April 2019 See this event
Anthony Arnull

EU Law: A Very Short Introduction
Blackwell’s Marquee 1:15pm Wed 3 Wednesday, 3 April 2019 See this event
Mary Beard Interviewed by Brooke Masters

Women and Power: A Manifesto SOLD OUT
Sheldonian Theatre 2:15pm Wed 3 Wednesday, 3 April 2019 See this event
Tim Marshall

Divided: Why We’re Living in an Age of Walls
Oxford Martin School: Lecture Theatre 6:00pm Wed 3 Wednesday, 3 April 2019 See this event
Rachel Botsman Introduced by Peter Tufano

Who Can You Trust?: How Technology Brought Us Together – and Why It Could Drive Us Apart CANCELLED
Said Business School 12:00pm Thu 4 Thursday, 4 April 2019 See this event
Ian Goldin

Clarity from Chaos: Making Sense of Our Confusing Times
Oxford Martin School: Seminar Room 6:00pm Thu 4 Thursday, 4 April 2019 See this event
Oliver Bullough

Moneyland: Why Thieves Rule the World & How to Take it Back
Bodleian: Divinity School 10:00am Fri 5 Friday, 5 April 2019 See this event
Will Caine and Gavin Esler

The Inquiry
Bodleian: Divinity School 12:00pm Fri 5 Friday, 5 April 2019 See this event
Barbie Nadeau Interviewed by Teresa Franco

Roadmap to Hell: Sex, Drugs and Guns on the Mafia Coast
Weston Lecture Theatre 12:00pm Fri 5 Friday, 5 April 2019 See this event
Jason Cowley Interviewed by Matthew Stadlen

Reaching for Utopia: Making Sense of an Age of Upheaval
Oxford Martin School: Lecture Theatre 2:00pm Fri 5 Friday, 5 April 2019 See this event
David Owen Interviewed by Louise Richardson

Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture. Hubris, Brexit and A Life in Politics
Sheldonian Theatre 4:00pm Fri 5 Friday, 5 April 2019 See this event
Andrew Hill and Ruth Nutter

Ruskin Today: How a Victorian Visionary’ can Shape our Future
Weston Lecture Theatre 10:00am Sat 6 Saturday, 6 April 2019 See this event
Roula Khalaf, Neil Buckley and Miranda Green

FT Leader Debate
Weston Lecture Theatre 12:00pm Sat 6 Saturday, 6 April 2019 See this event
Robert Saunders and Richard Ovenden

Masterclass: How Britain Joined Europe: From the Edward Heath Archive SOLD OUT
Weston Library: Bahari Room 1:00pm Sat 6 Saturday, 6 April 2019 See this event
Lionel Shriver Interviewed by Suzi Feay

Property: A Collection SOLD OUT
Weston Lecture Theatre 4:00pm Sat 6 Saturday, 6 April 2019 See this event
Tamasin Cave and Isabel Hardman Chaired by Stephen Law

The Oxford Debates. The Lobby and Crony Capitalism CANCELLED
Oxford Martin School: Lecture Theatre 4:00pm Sat 6 Saturday, 6 April 2019 See this event
William Burns

The Back Channel: American Diplomacy in a Disordered World SOLD OUT
Weston Lecture Theatre 6:00pm Sat 6 Saturday, 6 April 2019 See this event
Michael Heseltine Interviewed by Lionel Barber

FT Weekend Lecture. Brexit: Where does Britain go Next?
Sheldonian Theatre 6:30pm Sat 6 Saturday, 6 April 2019 See this event
Josephine Wolff

Cybersecurity: You’ll See This Message When It’s Too Late
Oxford Martin School: Lecture Theatre 12:00pm Sun 7 Sunday, 7 April 2019 See this event
Jonathan Fenby

Crucible: Thirteen Months that Forged Our World
Weston Lecture Theatre 4:00pm Sun 7 Sunday, 7 April 2019 See this event

Festival information:

A stimulating and rewarding on-stage conversation; a lively informed and tolerant audience; privileged access to the great treasures of the Bodleian, and finally, wonderfully interesting dinner companions to help me conclude the best day I have enjoyed at any festival – anywhere.

Every literary festival stays in an author’s mind for slightly individual reasons. I shall remember the Oxford festival for: - the size of the audience: at the top end of the range - their intelligence – this makes a huge difference for a speaker. In the Oxford audience I encountered many experts in the field my book covered and even one of the ambassadors I’d quoted - the beauty and the grace of the place itself – incomparable - the willingness of my hearers to buy books afterwards; I’ve never sold more.

The Oxford Literary Festival is intellectual Viagra.

The Oxford Literary Festival has in my mind become the leading literary festival of the year. The organisation, the roster of speakers, the ambience and the sheer quality of it all is superb. May it now go from strength to strength each year stretching its ambition more and more. I believe it will.

The Oxford festival is the most elegant and atmospheric of literary festivals. It’s a pleasure to both attend and perform there.

The night in Oxford was the most beautiful event I have ever done. Not just the spectacular setting (of the Sheldonian), but an unforgettable evening.

I came away buzzing and reassured that we still have in this century a wide ranging community fascinated not just by famous authors (I’ve rarely seen so many concentrated in one place) but by challenging ideas and questions.

It was a privilege for me to visit the festival to receive the Bodley Medal. As an incidental blessing I saw Oxford at its most mysterious and atmospheric. It was a day of piercing cold and as I walked through the twilight from the Sheldonian to Christ Church, the streets were empty and the whole city was shutting itself away. Christ Church was silent except for the footfall of unseen persons around corners and the sounds of evensong creeping from behind closed doors. For the first time I understood thoroughly the power of college ghost stories.

The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

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Oxford International Centre for Publishing

Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection

Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection

Where learning meets opportunity: education partners of the festival

Wines of the Douro Valley

Festival on-site and online bookseller

The Cervantes Institute, London

The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture

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Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK

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Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture

Brasenose College founded in 1512

Founded 1884

Reuben College founded in 2019

Magdalen College founded 1458

Trinity College founded 1555

Lincoln College founded 1427

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Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314

New College founded 1379

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