Late summer will see the Queen’s Park Book Festival return for its 2024 edition, bringing a diverse range of established and emerging talent together to celebrate the written word.

Taking part in the natural surroundings of North London’s Queen’s Park, the festival is known for bringing the charm of a village fete together with some of the most prestigious and exciting literary minds of today, delivering an inspiring programme of events and guest writers, speakers and performers across the weekend of 31^st August to 1^st September. Events span topics including fiction, memoir, poetry, current affairs, history and cookery - as well as family events suitable for children.

Programme highlights include Alan Bennett (pictured here), the highly distinguished playwright and author of Talking Heads, The History Boys and The Lady in the Van, who takes to the stage on Saturday alongside documentarians Adam Low and Martin Rosenbaum to discuss his life, work and forthcoming documentary celebrating his 90^th birthday (to be aired on the BBC this Autumn).

On Sunday, the festival will welcome Michael Palin to discuss his new book uncovering the life of his great-uncle, who died in the trenches of Northern France. Having never had the opportunity to meet him, Michael went in search of answers through family gossip, letters and historical documents. His tribute, Great-Uncle Harry blends biography, history, travelogue and personal memoir to paint a portrait of an ordinary man who led an extraordinary life. He will be in conversation with this country's leading writer of travel books, Colin Thubron, who appeared at the 2022 festival with his most recent book, The Amur River.

Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas also joins the festival to unpack the idea of England as a potent force in culture and politics, the notion behind her new book Another England. Lucas suggests that this idea has been co-opted by cheerleaders for Brexit, exceptionalism and imperial nostalgia - and that there are many other stories of Englishness (among them those of the Chartists, the Diggers and the Suffragettes) that are as important as those of Nelson and Churchill. Caroline delineates an alternative Englishness, one that we can all embrace to build a greener, fairer future. She will be in conversation with author, activist and Queens Park resident Melissa Benn.

Stand-out fiction events include acclaimed British-Turkish author Elif Shafak who will discuss new novel There Are Rivers in the Sky - the story of one lost poem, two great rivers, and three remarkable lives, all connected by a single drop of water. Ranging from ancient Nineveh to Victorian London, modern Turkey, and the London of today, it is a rich, sweeping novel that spans continents and cultures, entwined by rivers, rains and waterdrops. Elif will be in conversation with Claire Armitstead, Associate Editor of Culture at The Guardian.

A must-see for food lovers, award-winning Observer restaurant critic, broadcaster and jazz musician Jay Rayner joins the festival on Saturday to look back on 25 years of reviewing restaurants in Britain and beyond, and the best recipes he has taken home with him. In his new book Nights Out at Home he gives delicious and practical recipes, inspired by the best chefs in the world. Seasoned with stories from Jay's life as a critic, and written with warmth and wit, Nights Out at Home is a celebration of great eating. Jay will be in conversation with journalist Alex Clark.

Family fun includes global bestselling author and comics creator Jim Smith (7+) as he launches his new full-colour graphic novel series, My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary on Saturday, in a highly interactive event featuring readings, draw-along, tips for crafting comics and an audience Q&A. Meanwhile on Sunday, comic artist Joe Todd-Stanton (5+) will share the story behind his fabulous Brownstone’s Mythical Collection series and the monsters within, giving children the chance to make their very own creations.

An incredible array of talent, entertainment and intrigue will again pack out the free Community Tent at the festival, including event Queen’s Park Voices hosted by writer and broadcaster Marina Cantacuzino and featuring local writers and poets Clare Starling, Hilde Rapp and Joyanna Lovelock, and a special conversation between author Kate Weinberg and actor Jason Isaacs.

Meanwhile the Queen's Park Book Festival Comedy Night returns with a fantastic lineup featuring Cally Beaton, Steve Best, Esther Manito and Mark Maier, offering a hilarious end to Saturday evening at the festival.

Venue: Queen's Park, Kingswood Avenue, London NW6 6SG

Dates: Saturday 31^st August – Sunday 1^st September

The full 2024 Queen’s Park Book Festival programme, including the schedules for Saturday and Sunday, is available to view online at https://queensparkbookfestival.co.uk/programme/

Queen’s Park Books will host a pop-up bookshop on site throughout the weekend, featuring books from across the programme and signings by participating authors.

Tickets are available per event from £8.

Events in the Queen’s Park Community Tent are free and do not require a ticket.

Tickets are available via queensparkbookfestival.co.uk

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