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 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