Major new figures join 2017 festival programme

Major new figures join 2017 festival programme

Roger PenroseOne of the world's leading theoretical scientists Roger Penrose, pictured, opens this year's festival with a talk on his latest book in which he says fashion, faith and fantasy may be leading some researchers astray on the extreme frontiers of physics. Other major figures to join this year's festival include the former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, on the rise of Donald Trump, and the current Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who will discuss the Catholic community with former Labour deputy leader Roy Hattersley, author of a new book on the Catholic Church and community. Penelope LivelyMeanwhile, novelist Penelope Lively, pictured left, will talk about her life and career and receive the festival honorary fellowship. The world's leading expert on celebrity branding Jeetendr Sehdev, pictured below right, talks on the rise of the social media star and explains what the rise of reality television personality Kim Kardashian and the election of Donald Trump have in common. Jeetendr SehdevAnd violinist Min Kym mixes performance and conversation in a unique event that looks back at her life as a child prodigy and the personal consequences of the devastating theft of her rare 1696 Stradivarius. Tickets are already selling fast for the festival, which includes previously announced appearances by novelists Vikram Seth, Alexander McCall Smith, Paul Auster and William Boyd; poet Simon Armitage; Nobel-winning scientist Paul Nurse; actors Toby Jones and Simon Callow; Olympic gold medal-winning athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, food-writer and broadcaster Nigella Lawson; the UK's most celebrated political interviewer Jeremy Paxman; Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman; and BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour presenter Jenni Murray.

College opens doors for tours

The librarian of Worcester College, Mark Bainbridge, hosts a series of tours of the college’s 18-century library and its 17th and 18th-century collections. The tours take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the festival. Meanwhile, walking guide Alastair Lack returns with a series of literary walks including on Oxford poets, Oxford in film and the Oxford of Inspector Morse.

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