Books in the Park

Keep your fingers crossed for good weather. This wholesome-sounding book festival is back for its third year, foregoing the venues where literature events are usually held and putting on a big ol’ book bash in the park instead. ‘Books in the Park’ will fill Lewisham’s beautiful Beckenham Place Park with author talks, guided walks, writing workshops and an interactive children’s programme. Authors appearing this year include Lucy Steeds, whose novel The Artist was named Waterstones Book of the Year, Harriet Constable, the international bestselling author of The Instrumentalist, Clare Chambers, author of Sunday Times bestsellers Small Pleasures and Shy Creatures, Jesse Bernard, who offers an intimate history of Black British music as he discusses his new book Escaping Babylon, and New York Times bestselling crime writer Ruth Ware. There’s a range of free and ticketed events, head to the website for full programme information.