Rick Stein, Alan Johnson, David Owen, David Olusoga, Penelope Lively, and Ruby Wax join line-up

200 events now available to book

Rick SteinMore than 100 new events have been added to this year's FT Weekend Oxford Literary festival line-up including celebrity chef Rick Stein, pictured right, on A Life in Food. Historian and broadcaster David Olusoga talks about his role in the BBC's much anticipated update of Kennneth Clark's landmark documentary Civilisation, and ex-minister Alan Johnson discusses his multi-award-winning series of autobiographies and the future of the Labour Party. Booker winners Ben Okri and Penelope Lively return to Oxford this year, and the festival also welcomes Man Asian Literary Prize winner Su Tong. Ruby WaxComedian and writer Ruby Wax, pictured left, talks about her new manual for mental health, How to be Human. Major speakers previously announced include Shakespearean actor Antony Sher, journalist and presenter Robert Peston, scientist Richard Dawkins, novelist and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz, Spandau Ballet songwriter and actor Gary Kemp, biographer Claire Tomalin, poets Michael Longley and Wendy Cope, former director of the National Gallery and British Museum Neil MacGregor, Archers actor Tim Bentinck, witchcraft expert Ronald Hutton, and children's writers Judith Kerr, Lauren Child and Cressida Cowell.

Oxford debates issues of the day

Leading commentators and philosophers take part in a series of 'Oxford debates' at this year's festival. David OwenFormer Foreign Secretary David Owen, pictured right, and ex-diplomat Mariot Leslie discuss how a post-Brexit UK should look. Lawyer and Christian campaigner Andrea Williams and humanist Stephen Law debate whether Christians are being prosecuted. Law also leads an interactive debate involving the audience on 'how to raise good citizens'. Journalists Matthew d'Ancona and Alice Thwaite look at how we can champion truth in a time of 'alternative facts' and lies. The 2018 festival takes place between Saturday March 17 and Sunday March 25. You can book online through this website, 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