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London Literature Festival is back celebrating all things wordy at the Southbank Centre this October. The fifteenth edition of the festival will be focusing on the state of the climate and coincides with the world-exclusive launch of Greta Thunberg’s ‘The Climate Book’. The activist will be in conversation with journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed to speak about the book, which brings together over 100 experts, activists and witnesses to tell the story of how and why our planet is changing.
Over the fest’s 10 days there’ll also be literary stars of every flavour speaking on a whole range of topics. Minnie Driver will delve into stories from her ‘tell-most’ memoir ‘Managing Expectations’. In the UK for the first time in five years, Booker Prize-winning author George Saunders will chat about his short story collection ‘liberation day’. Josh Widdicombe and Rob Beckett will share anecdotes from their new book ‘Parenting Hell’. Broadcaster Jon Snow reflects on the state of the nation in ‘The State of Us’. Malorie Blackman will be in conversation with Candice Brathwaite about her autobiography, ‘Just Sayin’’. There’ll be panel talks from LGBTQ+ Arab writers from the anthology ‘This Arab is Queer’. Travis Alabanza will discuss their new memoir ‘None of the Above’ and Graham Norton introduces his new novel ‘Forever Home’.
There’ll also be a whole range of poetry events in conjunction with the National Poetry Library, a live recording of Radio 4’s ‘Open Book’, a dedicated Writers’ Day packed full of talks for writers, publishers and literary professionals to share hints, tips and initiatives, and newly commissions spoken word and performance pieces.
Some of the festival’s events will also be available to view via a livestream as well as in person: check the website for full info.