The Petworth Literary Festival has announced a high-profile line-up for its 2026 season, featuring a broad range of authors, broadcasters, and public figures. Tickets for the event, which runs from Friday 23 October to Saturday 7 November 2026, are now on general sale.
The upcoming festival comprises more than 45 individual sessions held across Petworth and the surrounding area, with venues including St Mary’s Church. The 2026 programme is set to be one of the festival’s most significant to date, drawing major names from the worlds of fiction, politics, and journalism.
High-profile headliners
The confirmed roster includes novelists Sebastian Faulks, Victoria Hislop, and John Boyne, alongside thriller writer Peter James and crime novelist Lynda La Plante. Notable figures from public life and the media are also scheduled to appear, including Robert Peston, Michael Gove, and Gyles Brandreth.
The festival will also host historian Max Hastings, biographer Simon Sebag Montefiore, and scientist Jim Al-Khalili. Fashion and business perspectives will be provided by former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman and retail expert Mary Portas, while the culinary world is represented by Prue Leith. Musician Rick Wakeman is also among the featured speakers.
For those in the Chichester District, the appearance of best-selling author and Chichester resident Kate Mosse is a significant draw. She is scheduled to speak at St Mary’s Church on Friday 6 November at 12 noon. Tickets for her session are priced at £19 for adults.
Ticket information and booking
General booking for all events opened on Thursday 10 September 2026. Organisers have advised early booking for high-demand sessions featuring the festival’s headline authors.
Tickets can be purchased online via the official Petworth Literary Festival website.
The festival continues its tradition of bringing national cultural figures to the heart of West Sussex, offering a mix of ticketed talks, Q&A sessions, and literary discussions over its 16-day duration.
