Greenwich Book Festival, returns for its fifth year in 2019 on June 13-16, with a lineup of leading fiction, non-fiction, independent, emerging and children's authors, who are participating in talks, showcases and hands-on workshops. Intimate in scale, grand in setting, the four-day event, hosted by the University of Greenwich under the Royal Greenwich Festivals banner, takes place in the historic Thameside buildings and grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, and in other locations in Greenwich.
For our fifth festival in 2019, we’ll be setting sail with Michael Palin, exploring activism with Billy Bragg, listening to the Woolwich laureate Bernadine Evaristo, learning about bias with Caroline Criado-Perez, showcasing the New Daughters of Africa anthology, welcoming English PEN, hearing about Tracey Thorn’s suburban adolescence, paying tribute to the late Andrea Levy, laughing with Paul Ewen and much more.
Children will be cast under Cressida Cowell’s spell at the festival finale, learn about kindness from Axel Scheffler, solve mysteries with Robin Stevens or Sharna Jackson, play quidditch at the Harry Potter Party, get creative at our workshops, revel in Roald Dahl’s Rotsome and Repulsant words, learn Beano tricks and much more. Free creative workshops for children and adults also will be on offer on Saturday, along the Platform showcasing Greenwich authors. Street food vans will be available for rumbling tummies.
When? June 14th-15th, 2019 (with pre-festival events on various dates)
Where? Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London
Who? 2019 - Michael Palin, Billy Bragg, Bernadine Evaristo, Caroline Criado-Perez, Tracey Thorn, Paul Ewen, Cressida Cowell Axel Scheffler,Robin StevensSharna Jackson, Greenwich authors ++
Website? Greenwich Bookfest
Twitter? @GreBookFest - @UniGreenwich
Facebook? Greenwich Book Festival
Festival Director? Patricia Nicol (Director) and Alex Pheby (Founding Director)
Established? 2015
2018 - The 2018 adult line-up included Diana Evans, Mick Herron, Eley Williams, Blake Morrison, Nina Stibbe, Alex Pheby, Dolly Alderton, Toby Litt, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Lucy Mangan, Chris Difford, Bryony Gordon, Paula McLain and Lissa Evans. We have two of the biggest stars of the YA scene, Angie Thomas and Patrick Ness, joining us. Our kids’ line-up is lovely, including Philip Ardagh, Elissa Elwick, Okido, Matt Carr, Lissa Evans, Leigh Hodgkinson, Robert Starling, Ged Adamson, Neill Cameron and Fabi Santiago.
2017- The multi-award-winning author of The Essex Serpent Sarah Perry, or for children the 2017 Waterstones Prize-winning Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl Of Ink and Stars, YA writer Alex Wheatle, winner of the Guardian’s Children’s Fiction Prize and MG Leonard, writer of the smash-hit Beetle Boy. Events also range from a free showcase for pioneering African publisher Bahati Books, a Middle-Eastern storyteller recounting the tales of Rumi and the chance to attend a surgery for the Galley Beggar Short Story Prize.
A showcase of New European Plays at a special pop-up at Greenwich Theatre. The Korean-born violinist Min Kym will be speaking and giving a recital at St Alfege Church and a tribute to the late pioneering British-Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta, discussions about Indian literature 70 years on from Independence and debates on how we perceive truth in a post-Trump world will take place in the Old Royal Naval College. And on a lighter note, the chance to make a pirate hat with Rob Biddulph, a Bottle of Happiness with Pippa Goodhart, a monster finger-puppet with Daisy Hirst, London landmarks with Alice Tait or do a Japanese-led origami workshop.
2016 - Adult programme: Kate Summerscale, Brix Smith Start, Chris Cleave, Sara Pascoe, Tristan Gooley, Hollie McNish Charlotte McDonald-Gibson (Castaway), Bee Wilson, Laura Barnett (The Versions Of Us), Lisa Owens (Not Working), Amy Liptrot (The Outrun), Helen Stevenson (Love Like Salt), Kit De Waal (My Name is Leon), Claire Vaye Watkins (Gold Fame Citrus), Charles Foster (Being A Beast), Caitlin Davies (Downstream), Fiona Barton (The Widow), Gillian Slovo, Sam Baker, Lucy Atkins, Fanny Blake, Anakana Schoefield, Andrew Hankinson, Adam Biles, Courttia Newland, Irenosen Okojie, Alex Pheby, Paul Stanbridge, Juliet Jacques, Annie Holmes, Olumide Popoola, Paul McVeigh, Joanna Walsh, Carys Davies, Preti Taneja, Cathy Rentzenbrink, Patrick Barkham. Children's/YA programme: Andy Stanton (Mr Gum), Jim Smith (Barry Loser), Lauren St John, Chloe Inkpen, a Harry Potter show, explorer Justin Miles, Clara Vulliamy and Polly Faber, Okido, Marion Deuchars, Linda Scott, the bubble writer, Ben Newman's Professor Astrocat, AF Harrold and Sarah Horne (Fizzlebert Stump), Alex Wheatle, Catherine Johnson, Melinda Salisbury.
2015 Authors: Jessie Burton, Viv Albertine, Jon Ronson, Patrick Gale, Greenwich University’s current writer-in-residence Paul Ewen (Francis Plug, How To Be A Public Author), Victoria Hislop, Antonia Hodgson, Rory Clements and historians Peter Moore and Selina Todd.
The children’s programme running through the weekend included activities workshops, books-related performances and author events. Authors/organisations visiting included: Kate Saunders, winner of the 2014 Children’s Costa prize for Five Children On the Western Front; Pip Jones, author of Squishy McFluff running a workshop on imaginary pets; OKIDO magazine; Longnose Puppets presenting Polly Dunbar‘s Flyaway Kate; illustrator William Grill discussing his stunning non-fiction account of Shackleton’s Journey; David Lucas; Emily Hughes, Wimpy Kid and Dinosaur that Pooped shows.
If you are involved in this festival you can update or change details via the organisers page . Authors can list here.
