Netflix and Oxford Literary Festival announce continued partnership for 2023

Netflix and Oxford Literary Festival announce partnership

After a successful collaboration in 2022, NETFLIX and the Oxford Literary Festival today announce their renewed partnership with the aim to inspire a new generation of festival goers.

For 26 years, the Oxford Literary Festival has bridged the gap between town and gown, opening the city’s most beautiful and historic buildings to ticket holders who come to listen to prestigious speakers from around the world.

This year, the festival will further support these efforts by ensuring that children from across Oxford city state schools, including those in the most disadvantaged areas of the city, will benefit from free tickets and school visits from authors.

Full details will be given in due course on the festival website.

Whilst the city of Oxford has become synonymous with a university known for its academic prowess, the attainment gap in state schools is widening between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils.

NETFLIX are proud to support the work of the Oxford Literary Festival, who are committed to ensuring that all pupils from the city have the opportunity to experience the enrichment of a literary event.

Three state schools have currently signed up to the programme – Cherwell, Greyfriars and The Oxford Academy.

Ruth Settle, Vice President PR, NETFLIX, said: "Storytelling is at the heart of what we do at Netflix, and we believe great stories can come from anywhere and be loved all over the world. The Oxford Literary Festival shares our commitment to supporting the next generation of talent, and we are proud to announce our continued support for their great work today."

Sally Dunsmore – Director of the Oxford Literary Festival warmly welcomed the NETFLIX support.

"The festival is delighted to partner NETFLIX, with its commitment to showcasing the written word to the world – through film and screen – with its power to inform, entertain and inspire.

"NETFLIX will enable the Festival’s schools and education programme to bring outstanding writers to speak to children and young people about their writing lives and work."

One of the leading literary festivals in the UK, The FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival will run from 25 March to 2 April. Speakers this year include Jeremy Bowen, thriller writer Mick Herron, astronomer Maggie Aderin Pocock, Cressida Cowell, current Waterstone's Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, Italian actor Greta Scacchi, Al Murray, Paterson Joseph, Pulitzer Prize winner, Isabel Wilkerson, Mary Berry, novelists Colm Tóibín, John Banville and Eleanor Catton and more.

The young people’s programme has always been a key feature, running across both weekends of the Oxford Literary Festival and hosting talks and workshops by children’s laureates, bestselling authors, poets and illustrators. Tickets for these events have always been heavily subsidised or offered free of charge.

The Oxford Festival is the only major UK literary festival to receive no state or local authority funding, and is entirely dependent on sponsorship and donations.

The school programme has been established by Dr Stephen Law, who is Director of Philosophy at the University of Oxford’s Department of Continuing Education. He is editor of the Royal Institute of Philosophy Journal 'Think' and every year organises the festival’s very successful Oxford Debates.

View the full press release and the details of the schools project.