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The Festival: 6 - 14 November 2026 | Tickets: 01308 424901|bridport.tic@bridport-tc.gov.uk
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Saturday 14 November

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    Event 60 | Cathy Rentzenbrink | The Agatha Christie Cure

    £12.00

    Cathy Rentzenbrink - The Agatha Christie Cure - What Reading the Queen of Crime Taught Me about Living

    Cathy Rentzenbrink fell in love with Agatha Christieʼs novels aged nine, after her grandmother paid her 10p for every mystery she finished. It turned her into an avid reader, but soon she left the Queen of Crime behind. Only when she was facing the end of her marriage, did she turn once more to Christie’s books, discovering in them the comfort and emotional support she craved. She talks to Lucy Brazier about the healing power of our greatest crime writer. Cathy Rentzenbrink worked as a bookseller and as an editor at the Bookseller, before becoming the bestselling author of The Last Act of Love and many other titles.

    When: Saturday 14 November 2026 @ 10.30 am
    Where: Bull Ballroom
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  • Event 61 | Tony Parsons | Man and Dog

    £16.50

    Tony Parsons - Man and Dog - A Love Story

    “Nobody will ever love you like a dog”: Tony Parsons wrote a newspaper column about the loss of his beloved spaniel, Stan, a bandy-legged bundle of joy, loyalty and bright red fur, the story went viral on the internet. Now it has inspired this deeply affecting and very funny memoir. Set against the backdrop of Tony’s life in Hampstead and daily walks across the Heath – with its rolling hills, ponds and cast of star-studded, dog-walking neighbours – Man and Dog brilliantly brings to life the eternal love affair between humans and their canine companions. He talks to Jo Willett. Tony Parsons is an award-winning journalist and bestselling novelist. His multi-million selling novel Man and Boy won the British Book of the Year prize in 2000.

    When: Saturday 14 November 2026 @ 12 noon
    Where: Electric Palace
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  • Event 62 | Rebecca Perry | May We Feed the King?

    £12.00

    Rebecca Perry - May We Feed the King?

    Winner of the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2026 and longlisted for the Booker Prize, Rebecca Perry is an impressively original new voice. An intricate exploration of how we construct history, May We Feed the King tells the story of a 21st-century curator at a medieval palace who is drawn deeper and deeper into the life of its former occupants, a reluctant ruler and the courtiers who scheme to replace him. Why is she turning to the past to hide from her present? And what drives a monarch to risk the future of their kingdom? This playful meditation on history and storytelling has become one of the most talked about novels of the year. Chaired by Adrian Turpin.

    When: Saturday 14 November 2026 @ 12 noon
    Where: Bull Ballroom
    Sponsored by: Deirdre & Howard Coates
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  • Event 63 | Zakia Sewell | Finding Albion

    £12.00

    Zakia Sewell - Finding Albion - Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain

    Zakia Sewell is on a quest for another Britain. Criss-crossing our island, the acclaimed broadcaster is seeking out a story that transcends divisive national myths and symbols. It’s to be found in otherworldly folk songs, ancient legends, Celtic rites and the stone circles punctuating our landscape. Her journey begins at the spring equinox in Glastonbury, where she meets neopagans reclaiming pre-Christian traditions. At Notting Hill Carnival, she hears cultural echoes passed along the slave routes from the Caribbean, and in a Cornish winter she asks if today’s new folk revival could unite a divided country. How might a mythical past inspire a brighter national future? Women’s Prize longlisted. She talks to local writer, Anna Whitwham.

    When: Saturday 14 November 2026 @ 1.30 pm
    Where: Bridport Arts Centre
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  • Event 64 | Paul Mason | Reds

    £14.00

    Paul Mason - Reds - A Global History of Communism

    The former Channel 4 News reporter talks to journalist Paul Lashmar about the global history of communism. Reds traces the history of communist ideas through the ancient world, and chronicles the rise of 19th-century anti-capitalist movements. Crucially, it asks how the idealism of millions led to mass murder and repression. Using testimonies from perpetrators and victims, Mason offers a terrifying account of how a 20th-century political experiment became a totalitarian nightmare. He also has a warning for the present. Western democracies lack self-belief: millions in the global south see China’s authoritarian development model as a viable alternative. Is history destined to repeat itself?

    When: Saturday 14 November 2026 @ 3.00 pm
    Where: Bridport Arts Centre
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  • Event 65 | Sarah Raven | A Year of Cut Flowers

    £16.50

    Sarah Raven - A Year of Cut Flowers - A Life of Growing and Arranging for All Seasons

    Teacher, broadcaster and nurserywoman, Sarah Raven is a pioneer of productive, beautiful gardening. Drawing on decades of experimentation at Perch Hill, she has transformed how we think about growing flowers and food together. Sarah shares the secrets behind year-round success, from sowing and selecting high-performing plants to designing gardens that overflow with scent, structure and seasonal interest. Join her for an inspiring and informative session that will change the way you garden, whether your patch is a windowsill or an acre – and send you home brimming with ideas.

    When: Saturday 14 November 2026 @ 4.30 pm
    Where: Electric Palace
    Sponsored by: Emily & Richard Cave
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  • Event 66 | Tom Cox | Everything Will Swallow You

    £12.00

    Tom Cox - Everything Will Swallow You

    Eric and Carl live in Dorset in a small white cottage under the shadow of a cliff. Eric sells old records. Carl – who one might easily mistake for a dog – cooks, cleans and crochets. Tom Cox’s third novel is the story of their friendship. Wandering through south-west England, they encounter local folklore and hints of a looming apocalypse. All the while, Carl’s true nature remains a closely guarded secret. One of our most original novelists talks to Joanna Quinn about landscape, love and the lore of the land. He’ll also read from his new short-story collection. Tom Cox’s 16 books include Villager, the Sunday Times bestseller The Good, The Bad and the Furry and the Wainwright Prize-longlisted 21st-Century Yokel.

    When: Saturday 14 November 2026 @ 4.30 pm
    Where: Bull Ballroom
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  • Event 67 | Jonathan Freedland | The Traitors Circle

    £16.50

    Jonathan Freedland - The Traitors Circle - The Rebels Against the Nazis and the Spy Who Betrayed Them

    Berlin, 1943. A group of high-society anti-Nazi dissenters gather for a tea party one late summer afternoon. They form a circle of unlikely rebels, drawn from Germany’s elite: two countesses, a diplomat, an intelligence officer and a pioneering headmistress. What they don’t know is that someone at the table is poised to reveal their secrets to the Third Reich’s most ruthless detective. Award-winning author Jonathan Freedland discusses his remarkable study of heroism. He asks a timely question: what does it take to risk everything and stand up to tyranny?

    When: Saturday 14 November 2026 @ 6.30 pm
    Where: Electric Palace
    Sponsored by: Andy & Deborah Gray
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  • Event 68 | The Bookshop Band | Folklore (Not Taylor’s Version)

    £15.00

    The Bookshop Band - Folklore (Not Taylor’s Version)

    Join us for an end-of-festival celebration with Beth Porter and Ben Please of The Bookshop Band. Since they began playing at Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath, the playful folk duo have released 13 book-inspired albums, collaborating with more than 100 authors including Philip Pullman, Rachel Joyce, Robert Macfarlane and Margaret Attwood, who has described their work as “an inspiration”. Their most recent album, Emerge, Return and an EP of three songs about the infamous Oz magazine have been produced by Pete Townsend of The Who. They’ll be loosely exploring one of the themes of this year’s festival, our shared folklore. “Achingly good”, New York Times. “Just delightful”, BBC Radio 2.

    When: Saturday 14 November 2026 @ 8.00 pm
    Where: Oxenbury's Yard
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The Bridport Literary Festival © Copyright 2004 - 2026
Charity No: 1147075 | All Rights Reserved | Designed by BRACED
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