Tuesday 12 August 12:00 - 13:00
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It’s lunchtime, and (hallelujah!) there’s no need to doomscroll over a sad desk salad. Be the first to discover the literary stars of the future, instead…
Tuesday 12 August 12:15 - 13:15
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International award-winning author Joseph O’Connor returns to the Festival with the next novel in his thrilling, historical Rome Escape Line series…
Tuesday 12 August 12:45 - 13:45
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As British Book Award-winner and the first person to top the UK fiction and non-fiction charts at the same time, Conn Iggulden is a superstar of historical writing. Join us today to hear how Iggulden interweaves fiction with fact to create page-turning…
Tuesday 12 August 13:15 - 14:15
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With his much-loved autobiographical works A Shepherd’s Life and English Pastoral, Cumbrian sheep farmer James Rebanks has given us a new, deeply personal perspective on working life amid the English countryside…
Tuesday 12 August 13:30 - 14:30
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- BSL interpreted
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Co-creator of beloved sitcom Gavin and Stacey, Ruth Jones knows the power of a great story. Join us as Ruth discusses both her writing craft and uplifting new novel, By Your Side…
Tuesday 12 August 13:45 - 14:45
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This is how Liu Zhenyun, one of China’s finest and most decorated writers, accounts for the humour in his work. Today, he’ll discuss his exquisite analyses of Chinese society with Lijia Zhang…
Tuesday 12 August 14:15 - 15:15
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When was the last time you stopped to rest and just let your mind wander? Well, if you need any encouragement to do that more, come hear neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli discussing the findings of his latest book, The Brain at Rest…
Tuesday 12 August 15:00 - 16:00
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A love letter to the crime genre, The Burial Place explores what happens when a retired city detective, a group of archaeologists, and a murderer descend upon a small idyllic town. Writer and broadcaster Stig Abell’s event is for crime lovers everywhere…
Tuesday 12 August 15:00 - 16:00
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Join filmmaker and historian Sam Dalrymple for an insightful conversation about the complex history and geopolitics of Asia…
Tuesday 12 August 15:30 - 16:30
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Diana Henry is one of the UK’s best loved food writers, celebrated for her vivid, nourishing essays and cookbooks. Join in this warm, inspiring conversation, chaired by Marjorie Lotfi, about the joy and power of good food…
Tuesday 12 August 15:45 - 16:45
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Join two of Spain’s most exciting contemporary writers to discover how, even in the blazing Spanish sun, they’ve found dark corners for secrets to lurk within…
Tuesday 12 August 16:00 - 17:00
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All aboard for two globe-spanning journeys! The authors discuss their wondrous travelogues and what they learned along the way with Dan Richards…
Tuesday 12 August 16:45 - 17:45
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What goes on in a fundamentalist’s head? The authors of two very different books try to answer this question today…
Tuesday 12 August 17:00 - 18:00
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Today, Isabel Allende joins us remotely for an unmissable conversation about her life in letters, and her triumphant return to the multi-generational saga, My Name is Emilia del Valle…
Tuesday 12 August 17:45 - 18:45
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Jaws, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park… Would these movies be quite as iconic without their incredible scores? Journalist and broadcaster Mark Kermode, alongside writer and expert audio producer Jenny Nelson, are better placed than anyone to explore this…
Tuesday 12 August 18:00 - 19:00
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At this unique event, we introduce this trailblazing poet, academic, and broadcaster, and discovers how a son of the Western Isles became the fifth incumbent in this totemic Scottish literary role. Tha fàilte air càch!…
Tuesday 12 August 18:30 - 19:30
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Hear Weinersmith chat with us about this hilarious, wise, deeply-researched project that makes us glad to still live on our third rock from the sun. Plus, find out which books made 2025’s prize shortlist…
Tuesday 12 August 18:45 - 19:45
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The sometime academic, journalist, and governmental advisor joins us with The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century (a Financial Times and New Statesman book of 2024), discussing why our ideas about business need an update…
Tuesday 12 August 19:15 - 20:15
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We believe that everyone has a story to tell and that stories help us make sense of our world. We’ve challenged local writers and poets, this year, to respond to 2025’s Festival theme: Repair…
Tuesday 12 August 19:30 - 20:30
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Today, Hamilton talks about the thrill of imagining a wildly far-flung future and his dual roles as novelist and video game consultant…
Full 2025 Book Festival programme is announced with key theme of Repair 
