Founded in 2001, Sevenoaks Literary Festival aims to create engaging events for and in the heart of our community. The volunteers who run the festival seek out the brightest minds and most interesting voices to delight, enthral and inspire you.
Recent highlights from the Festival include events with acclaimed actress Harriet Walter, actress and presenter Mel Giedroyc and international bestsellers Bonnie Garmus and Elizabeth Strout.
Leading novelists have been central to the festival from its inception, including Hilary Mantel talking about Wolf Hall on the eve of her Booker Prize win. More recently we have welcomed The Reverend Richard Coles, Mick Herron, Adam Kay and Robert Harris.
History, biography and memoir are often popular topics and we have been enthralled by talks by leading experts like Tracy Borman, Kate Williams, Jonathan Freedland, Susannah Constantine, Eileen Atkins, Clive Myrie and Lemn Sissay.
Recently we have also enjoyed gastronomic treats from Charlie Bigham, wine advice from Margaret Rand and sporting stories from Mike Brearley and Felix White.
Environmental issues and how we use our land have been a feature of recent festivals with important talks by Tristan Gooley, Tom Heap and Oliver Franklin-Wallis.
Fashion, beauty and well being have become a highlight recently with visits from Anna Murphy, Liz Earle, Justine Picardie, Julie Summers and Kat Farmer, covering topics such as the history of Vogue and Chanel as well personal style and taking care of ourselves.
And no year is complete without our wonderful schools event, where we invite the Year 5 and 6 pupils from the four state primary schools in Sevenoaks to enjoy a talk by authors including Sita Brahmachari, Lucy Strange and Piers Torday. In the last two years we have expanded this part of the festival out to other local primary schools on our roving author days, and donated some of our profits to delivering book bundles to selected local schools.