When we reach late September, and the leaves start turning from green to amber, that time of year we call “festival season” often seems like a distant memory. Glastonbury has been and gone; Isle of Wight is long out of sight; the Hay Festival has had its day. And yet, it is into this autumnal twilight that Henley-on-Thames comes alive. From 30 September to 8 October, the historic Oxfordshire town becomes the site of one of the UK’s leading literary events: the Henley Literature Festival.
Held this year in partnership with The Independent, Henley will play host to a number of globally famed speakers, including former Conservative prime minister Theresa May, writers Sebastian Faulks and Jacqueline Wilson, comedians Sara Pascoe and David Baddiel, and journalist Robert Peston. There are also poets (Ben Okri), historians (David Olusoga), athletes (Pat Nevin), musicians (Michael Ball) and filmmakers (Neil Jordan) among the lineup, as well as a sizable children’s programme at the weekend.
