Winchester Books Festival 2026

Friday 17 - Sunday 19 April 2026

Hello and welcome to the Winchester Books Festival.   

Winchester is a city steeped in literary history and famously the resting place of one of the UK’s most beloved authors, Jane Austen.  Our festival is a vibrant celebration of books, authors and the power of words. 

Each April, we bring together an extraordinary line up of authors for a weekend filled with inspiration, imagination and lively discussion.  From captivating fiction and thought-provoking non-fiction to enchanting children’s stories, we aim for our festival to have something for everyone.   

In addition to our annual festival, we also host special events throughout the year to keep the magic of books alive in Winchester. 

We look forward to you joining us as we celebrate the best of books and the writers who create them.

Our April 2025 Festival Authors

Jeremy Bowen (c) Johnny Ring

Jeremy Bowen

Federica Amati

Federica Amati

Patrick Grant

Patrick Grant

Pollyanna Wilkinson

Pollyanna Wilkinson

Tom Holland, photographed by Charlie Hopkinson ©

Tom Holland

Lady Carnarvon

Lady Carnarvon

William Hanson

William Hanson

Col. Dame Kelly Holmes

Dame Kelly Holmes

Claire Douglas

Claire Douglas

Susie Dent author image credit Stewart Williams

Susie Dent

L. V. Matthews

LV Matthews

Kate Kemp credit Bronac McNeill

Kate Kemp

Joanna Miller - Lucy Noble Photography

Joanna Miller

Simon Heffer

Simon Heffer

Andy Hussey

Andy Hussey

Margaret Sturton

Margaret Sturton

Nicky Smith-Dale

Nicky Smith-Dale

Sohail Husain

Sohail Husain

Rob Eastaway

Rob Eastaway

Marcel Dirsu

Marcel Dirsus

Author and photographer Chris Jackson

Chris Jackson

Kathryn Sutherland

Kathryn Sutherland

Ben Pentreath

Ben Pentreath

Carrie Sellon

Carrie Sellon

Maz Evans

Maz Evans

Judy Murray

Judy Murray

Judith Heneghan

Judith Heneghan

Tom Bromley

Tom Bromley

Kate Nicholson

Kate Nicholson

Franco Fubini credit Natoora

Franco Fubini

Eleanor Mills Credit Amelia Troubridge

Eleanor Mills

Hannah Bourne Taylor - credit TIM FLACH

Hannah Bourne-Taylor

Ferdia Lennon

Ferdia Lennon

Claire Fuller

Claire Fuller

Ben Macintyre

Ben Macintyre

David-Nicholls

David Nicholls

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