Greenwich Book Festival

Greenwich Book Festival, returns for its third year, on May 27-28, with a lineup of leading fiction, non-fiction, independent, emerging and children's authors, participating in talks, showcases and hands-on workshops.

Intimate in scale, grand in setting, the two-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 the neighbouring National Maritime Museum.

When? Friday 26th and Saturday 27th May, 2017

Where? Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London

Who? 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.

Website? Greenwich Bookfest

Twitter? @GreBookFest  - @UniGreenwich 

Facebook? Greenwich Book Festival

Festival Director? Patricia Nicol, Auriol Bishop, Alex Pheby

Established? 2015

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.