Antony Sher, Richard Dawkins and Sebastian Barry confirmed for 2018

More than 100 events already available to book

Antony SherThe 2018 FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival line-up is launched today with more than 100 events already available to book. Shakespearean actor Sir Antony Sher, pictured above right, talks about his 'crowning achievement' of playing King Lear, journalist and presenter Robert Peston gives a personal and passionate account of what our rulers have got wrong, and Professor Richard Dawkins talks about his own passion for science and clear thinking. Claire TomalinNovelist and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz appears on both the children's and adult programmes, and major events also include Spandau Ballet songwriter and actor Gary Kemp, children's writer Judith Kerr on her life and work, and biographer Claire Tomalin, pictured left, talking about her own life.

Poets take centre stage at Sheldonian

Michael LongleyLeading poets Michael Longley, pictured right, and Wendy Cope take to the Sheldonian stage this year. Longley is a celebrated Northern Irish poet and winner of the PEN Pinter prize for his 2017 collection Angel Hill. Cope talks about her new collection of poems, Anecdotal Evidence. Other Sheldonian events include children's writers Lauren Child and Cressida Cowell, Archers actor Tim Bentinck, Nicholas Parsons with the return of a festival version of Just a Minute, Professor Ronald Hutton on the history of the witch, and former director of the National Gallery and British Museum Dr Neil MacGregor on 'living with gods'.. The 2018 festival takes place between Saturday March 17 and Sunday March 25. You can book online at oxfordliteraryfestival.org, in person at Oxford Visitor Information Centre, Broad Street, and at our telephone box office on 0333 666 3366*. * A £1.50 agent's booking fee applies to all bookings made at the visitor information centre and by phone.

2023

2022

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 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 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 OX magazine Ox in a Box K T Bruce Photography K T Bruce Photography The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Windrush Group James Currey Society