Autumn Festival 2025: The Full Line-Up Has Landed!
We’re thrilled to announce that the Wimbledon BookFest Autumn Festival 2025 print programme has officially landed! This year’s festival – running from 16–26 October – features 100+ incredible events newly announced guests, and brand-new strands including Writing Workshops and Table Talk, our new food and drink series.
This year’s Festival brings together a remarkable mix of voices, from bestselling authors and cultural icons to rising literary talents and food innovators – offering something for everyone. Highlights include punk poetry legend Dr John Cooper Clarke, acclaimed novelist and screenwriter David Nicholls, and BBC’s Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet. Fiction favourites Anthony Horowitz and Lucy Foley will explore the art of suspense and what keeps readers hooked. Jung Chang, the celebrated author of Wild Swans and Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister, reflects on the power of lived history in shaping personal and political identity. And audiences can look forward to the wit and warmth of Adam Buxton, returning with his signature mix of humour, music, and cultural commentary.
New for 2025, Wimbledon BookFest introduces exciting strands that expand the Festival’s scope and audience engagement. Table Talk is a weekend of food-themed events dedicated to culinary creativity and conversation. Taking place mid-Festival, it brings together some of the UK’s most exciting voices in food – including Thomasina Miers, Bee Wilson, Olly Smith, Clodagh McKenna, Sam Holland, and Pizza Pilgrims – for a series of live talks, tastings, and shared storytelling around the kitchen table. One of the weekend’s highlights is a headline appearance by award-winning restaurant critic and author Jay Rayner on Saturday 18 October, offering audiences a delicious blend of humour, insight, and sensory storytelling.
In line with the Festival’s educational mission, this year also sees the launch of a new programme of writing workshops aimed at emerging authors. Whether you’re an aspiring novelist, poet, or nonfiction writer, these sessions provide structured, practical support at every stage of the creative process—from idea generation and narrative shaping to editing, pitching, and performance. Led by experienced authors, editors, and coaches, the workshops are designed to help new voices develop the confidence and skills needed to bring their stories to life.
Designed by Wimbledon‑based printmaker and visual artist Mahin Hussain, this year’s programme cover is a vibrant celebration of multicultural storytelling and a nod to our longstanding Lahore Partnership. Originally from Lahore and now based in London, Mahin draws inspiration from her Pakistani heritage – particularly the bold colors, decorative motifs, and architectural beauty of her childhood. Her design for the festival cover similarly blends these elements – bright, hand‑painted patterns and joyful textures – to evoke cross‑cultural creativity and shared heritage. In doing so, it not only introduces the festival visually but also honors our cultural exchange with Lahore. Copies will also be available to pick up at Merton Libraries, Waterstones Wimbledon, and Wimbledon Books, while the full line-up is also online for easy browsing.
As always, Wimbledon BookFest remains rooted in the community as a not-for-profit charity, committed to delivering high-quality arts and culture while also supporting literacy and education through its year-round schools and outreach programmes. With an expanded line-up, new creative strands, and a dynamic mix of speakers, Autumn Festival 2025 promises to be a bold, inclusive celebration of ideas, imagination, and conversation in the heart of South West London.
Explore the full event line up here.
