Jeremy Paxman and Nigella Lawson confirmed

Jeremy Paxman and Nigella Lawson confirmed

Nigella LawsonFood writer and broadcaster Nigella Lawson and the legendary BBC interviewer Jeremy Paxman are to speak at this year's festival. Lawson, pictured right, and the doyenne of Italian cookery Anna del Conte will join forces to explore the art of food writing and reflect on their fascinating lives and careers. Lawson recently paid tribute to del Conte in a BBC documentary, The Cook Who Changed our Lives. Jeremy PaxmanMeanwhile, Paxman, Britain's bravest and most incisive interviewer, pictured left, makes what is certain to be a popular return to the festival to talk about 'post-truth politics' and the art of the interviewer. Former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine speaks about the evolution of the garden at his Thenford estate. Tickets are already selling fast for the festival, which includes appearances by novelists Hilary Mantel, Vikram Seth, Alexander McCall Smith, Paul Auster and William Boyd; poet Simon Armitage; Nobel-winning scientist Paul Nurse; international cellist Steven Isserlis; actors Toby Jones and Simon Callow; and Olympic gold medal-winning athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill. The 2017 festival takes place between Saturday March 25 and Sunday April 2. You can book online on this website, at our new telephone box office on 0333 666 3366*, or in person at Oxford Visitor Information Centre*, Broad Street, Oxford. * A £1.50 agent's booking fee applies to all bookings made by phone and at the visitor information centre.

Creative writing course returns

The festival sees the return of our popular one-day writing course, this year titled Only Connect: A One-Day Writing Workshop. Designed by and featuring two professional writers with long experience of teaching at university level, Jem Poster and Sarah Burton, the programme will address the writer’s art and craft in practical and thought-provoking ways, involving both writing and the discussion of writing.

2023

2022

The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

The Telegraph Festival media partner University of Oxford 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 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 elBullifoundation Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller Symington Wines of the Douro Valley Compassion in World Farming Pasture to Plate Oxford Business College Where learning meets opportunity: education partners of the festival Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Critchleys Accountants to the festival Confucius Institute Voltaire Foundation Felicity Bryan Associates Goldmoney Properties Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Jim Mellon Miles Young Tim and Marion Stevenson Martin and Elise Becket Smith Ian and Carol Sellars David Isaac Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture Other donors Yale University Press London New College New College founded 1379 Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Lincoln College Lincoln College founded 1427 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Reuben College Reuben College founded in 2019 Pusey House Founded 1884 Brasenose College Brasenose College founded in 1512 New Dutch Writing Human Ecology Project MACROVegan Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily Paul Bloomfield Ltd University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Oxford University Images Oxford University Images CAV Oxford The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Windrush Group The Oxford Times BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner Conference Oxford Ox in a Box OX magazine