Cliveden Literary Festival line-up announced

The full programme for Cliveden Literary Festival in Taplow has been announced, with big names in journalism, history and politics set to host discussions.

Taking place at the historic Cliveden House on October 15-16 , the festival is a ‘renowned as a forum for lively debate’.

It has been described by Ian McEwan as ‘probably the world’s best small literary festival,’ and by Alain de Botton as ‘the most dignified and beautiful literary festival on the planet’.

This year’s line-up features conversations between leading authors and thinkers, as well as panel discussions on today’s most pressing issues.

Topics span current affairs, politics, history, feminism, business and beyond.

Highlights from the Cliveden Literary Festival 2022 programme include:

• Actor Brian Cox will tell Chris Evans about his journey from Shakespeare to Succession
• Monica Ali will share the highs and lows of a writer’s life with Merve Emre
• William Boyd will chart his literary voyage through love and time with Sam Leith
• British Vogue editor Edward Enninful will talk to Catherine Ostler about his fashion life.

On the history side of things:

• Peter Frankopan, Aindrea Emelife, Ben Okri, Simon Sebag Montefiore and Catherine Ostler will discuss the meaning of world history and debate what may happen next
• The future of the British Monarchy will be debated by Royal experts Tina Brown, Robert Hardman and Camilla Tominey.

Looking at an international focus:

• Ukrainian historians Serhii Plokhy and Olesya Khromeychuk, and Polish MEP Radek Sikorski, will share their insights into Ukraine’s place in European history with CNN chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward
• Russian experts Mark Galeotti, Mikhail Zygar and Jonathan Haslam will explore the fatal powerplays within Putin’s court
• William Dalrymple and Peter Frankopan will examine how and why India and China fell victim to the empires of Europe.

For those interested in gender politics, toxic femininity and surfing the many waves of feminism will be the focus of a session with Louise Perry, Joanne Cash and Inaya Folarin Iman.

Anyone interested in business can hear the ways British businesses can escape recession – explored by Luke Johnson, Octavius Black and Antonia Romeo.

On the fiction front, Monica Ali, Sebastian Barry, Ben Okri, Susie Boyt and Merve Emre will discuss new approaches to writing modern fiction.

A ‘sell-out success’ every year, festival tickets are now on sale via the Cliveden Literary Festival website.

The full 2022 programme and speaker list can be viewed at: www.clivedenliteraryfestival.org/programme-2022