2022 festival line-up features Richard Dawkins, Zadie Smith, Joanna Lumley, Delia Smith, Donna Leon

Festival launches 2022 line-up

Oxford Literary Festival returns this spring for its 25th anniversary event with a line-up that features a host of names from literature, the arts, science and lifestyle, including actresses Joanna Lumley and Maureen Lipman, scientists Richard Dawkins and Martin Rees, novelists Zadie Smith and Donna Leon, and cookery legend Delia Smith.

Lumley talks about the true meaning of ‘compassion’, her love of animals and the natural world, and about her animal welfare campaigning, while Lipman features with jazz singer Norma Winstone, pianist Christian Garrick and poet Jeremy Robson in a celebratory evening of readings, music and poetry to mark the 25th Oxford Literary Festival.

Delia Smith  talks about her life and career in cookery and about a new book in which she encourages us to think more deeply about our existence

Dawkins talks about his new book, Flights of Fancy, and Rees, the Astronomer Royal, about the future prospects for humanity. Other scientists appearing include well known broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili on the joy of science, and public health expert Muir Gray. 

Novelists appearing this year include Zadie Smith, who receives the prestigious Bodley Medal, Penelope Lively, Freya North, Wendy Holden, Howard Jacobson, and crimewriters Donna Leon, Val McDermid and Charlie Higson, whose event launches a new festival crime fiction programme.   

Philosopher A C Grayling talks about how to get humanity to agree on a set of values, and the world of politics is represented by former Labour leader Ed Miliband on bold solutions to fix our world, former foreign secretary David Owen on British-Russian relations, and anti apartheid campaigner Peter Hain on his memoirs.

Geographer and BBC Coast presenter Nicholas Crane talks about the ten-year quest to find the length of one degree of latitude, leading US sociologist Chris Bail discusses the polarising effect of social media, and economist Mariana Mazzucato argues that government needs to create a sense of public purpose to meet the big challenges of the age.

Meanwhile, this year’s Oxford debates are headed by a discussion on ‘toppling statues and fallen idols’.
                                                 

Jacqueline Wilson, Katherine Rundell and Lemony Snicket lined up for family events

Events for children, young people and families include former children’s laureate and Tracy Beaker creator Jacqueline Wilson and award-winnng children’s writer Katherine Rundell.

International bestseller Lemony Snicket makes a first appearance at the festival with A Series of Unfortunate Events,  and there are also appearances by broadcaster and dinosaur expert Ben Garrod, and Fantastically Great Women author Kate Pankhurst.

The world of Harry Potter will once again be celebrated with a special event in the Sheldonian Theatre to mark 25 years of the Harry Potter books. 
 
Tickets are on sale on this website or by telephoning the box office at 0333 666 3366 (a booking fee of £1.80 applies to purchases made through the telephone box office).