Postponement of Oxford Literary Festival

Postponement of Oxford Literary Festival

Dear Friend It is with a heavy heart that we have taken the decision to postpone this year’s 2020 festival. It is the only and right thing to do in the light of continued concern and uncertainty about the spread of the coronavirus. Our foremost concern is that the festival does not put at risk the health of yourselves – our visitors – our authors, sponsor partners, festival staff and volunteers, and university and college personnel hosting our events in their venues. The Oxford Literary Festival is one of the world’s most prestigious, with 28,000 ticket holders attending and 450 writers speaking over nine days. For many of you who have been so generous to support our festival over a number of years (this year was to showcase our 24th festival) you’ll be familiar with its style and content. Featuring discussion and talk of literary subjects and the concerns of our time by some of the greatest writers and influential thinkers of our age, the festival has been a platform for education, debate of ideas and free speech. No doubt an analysis of our current circumstances will form part of future festivals. I know this postponement of our events will not come as a complete surprise, and I am sorry for any disappointment or change of plans this will cause. We are deeply committed to the future success of the festival, and a good part of what we had scheduled we plan to carry over until later this year or next year. I hope that you will appreciate that we will need to assess options when we are in a better position to do so. We very much appreciate all the tremendous encouragement that you have given, and hope we can continue to rely on it. Because we could not be covered by insurance for this kind of eventuality and because we are a self-funding charity not making a profit, we would like if at all possible to treat any ticket sales as a donation. However, we will treat ticket sales as a credit for future festival events if requested. Unfortunately, we are unable to refund at this stage. We will be back in touch by the end of May to explain how you can make your donation of your ticket or claim your credit. Next year will mark our 25th anniversary, and I very much hope that by then we will lay on a wonderful programme of events we all can enjoy and be proud of. Our website will be updated to carry more questions and answers as we receive further information. We send our warm wishes to you all for your good health and that of your families. Best wishes Sally Sally Dunsmore Festival director

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