All About
Welcome to Winchester Books Festival.
Winchester Books Festival is a Community Interest Company.
Co-founders Sophie Liardet and Sian Searles share an unwavering passion for bringing the most exciting and thought-provoking authors to Winchester—a city steeped in culture and the perfect setting for a world-class books festival.
Their bold vision and ambition for the Winchester Books Festival shines through their creative and forward-thinking partnerships.
Highlights for 2025 include the exclusive Bombay Sapphire festival cocktails, adding a dash of sophistication to the celebrations, and the eye-catching Partridge of Hampshire festival green fleet, ensuring branded cars turn heads across the city.
Together, they’re redefining what a literary festival can be, combining innovation, style, and a love for the written word.
Newsletters
Read about all the latest news and events in our 15 May 2025 news bulletin.
Watch our David Nicholls event
We were lucky enough to be joined by the acclaimed playwright and author of “One Day” in February 2025.
You can watch the recording here for free anytime on any device or share with a friend.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we did and look forward to seeing you at an event soon.
2023 Authors & Books
Dr. Sohom Das – In Two Minds
S.J. Parris – Alchemy – the latest Giordano Bruno mystery
Wendy Joseph KC – Trials at The Old Bailey
Governor James Bourke – Doing Time: 175 years of Winchester Prison
Frank Gardner – Outbreak
Hugh Petter – Living Tradition
Daisy Goodwin – Diva
Alison Weir – Winchester’s Queens (a bespoke talk)
James Holland – The Savage Storm: The Brutal Battle for Italy 1943
Edward Bulmer – The Colourful Past
Dr. Brian Klass – Fluke: Chance, Chaos and Why Everything We do Matters
Liz Earle MBE – A Better Second Half
Sarah Freethy – The Porcelain Maker
Claire Fuller – A Big Book Club event
Children’s authors:
Andy Hussey – There’s No Deer Around Here, Any Trout About
Margaret Sturton – Alberta
Chitra Soundar – Creative Writing Workshop
Lauren Child – Clarice Bean – Smile
Sam Sedgman – The Clockwork Conspiracy
2024 Authors & Books
Jennie Maizels – Pop-Up London
Marc Morris – The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginning of England
Claire Fuller – The Memory of Animals
Chibundu Onuzo – Sankofa
Frances Liardet – Think of Me
Charlie Corbett – 12 Birds to Save Your Life
Gill Hornby – Godmersham Park
Bill Browder – Freezing Order
Marina Wheeler QC – The Lost Homestead
Rebecca Abrams – Licoricia of Winchester
Sue Stuart-Smith – The Well Gardened Mind
Contact us
Say hello to our little but lovely team by sending an email to info@winchesterbooksfestival.com
Be the first to know about new events and festivals.
Never miss a thing. Sign up today for free to hear about new Winchester Book Festivals, events and authors.