Festival organisers reveal first wave of headline speakers
While the full programme of the much-anticipated Lake District Book Festival goes on sale on April 8th 2026, it was with great pleasure that earlier this week, the festival organisers released the names of some of the many local, national and international writers who have signed up to take part in the inaugural event.
Sebastian Faulks, Sarah Hall, Rory Stewart, Sam Leith, Katie Hale, Penny Bradshaw, Justin Marozzi, Avi Shlaim, Sophie Ambler, Jane Horrocks, Zeynab Badawi, Matt Frei, Lamorna Ash, Margaret MacMillan, David McWilliams, Hallie Rubenhold,Philip Marsden, Lyse Doucet, Candice Carty-Williams, Lee Schofield, Irini Tzortzoglou, Lindsey Hilsum, Samira Ahmed, Jon Lee Anderson, Graham Robb, Frances Wilson, Bee Wilson, Michael Heseltine, Christopher de Bellaigue
Talks, panels and interviews will cover topics ranging from politics, Beatrix Potter, Afghanistan, children’s literature, Central Asia, Sultan Suleyman, France, Barrow-in-Furness, slavery, the Antarctic, the psychology of food, Persian poetry, Windermere, The Beatles, minerals, Indian poetry, assisted dying, celebrity bunfights, money, the future of farming, Versailles, true crime, the history of Britain & much, much more.
Of the events to go on early sale, Sophie Ambler’s (medievalist extaordinaire, Lancaster University) discussion with David Horspool (Times Literary Supplement) about William Marshal is a particular highlight. William Marshal is of course associated with the foundation of Cartmel Priory and as such is a revered figure within the village. Marshal’s influence however went far beyond the northwest and his is a fascinating story.
Another stand-out event will be the encounter between Rory Stewart (no introduction needed) and Channel 4 news anchor, Matt Frei. The subject of their talk will be Britain’s Place in the World – one which Festival Director Christopher de Bellaigue avows is more than timely: ‘Expect home truths and bold ideas from two big beasts of politics and punditry – and maybe, just maybe, a path to a more confident Britain in a world in flux.’
On announcing these early dates, Festival Producer Charlotte Fairbairn said: ‘Putting together an event such as this from a standing start, Christopher de Bellaigue and I have met with nothing but open hearts and minds from everyone who works at the racecourse, from residents of the village of Cartmel itself and from the literary community at large. We are looking forward to a great weekend this year – and to a festival that will bring debate and interest to the Cumbria for many years to come.
The Lake District Book Festival is a new annual celebration of the spoken and written word being staged at England’s prettiest racecourse, Cartmel. The inaugural event takes place from 12th-14th June 2026.
The strapline of the festival is ‘Bringing the Lakes to the world and the world to the Lakes’ and the cast of writers and artists taking part in this first year fully reflects this.
Tickets for the full programme will be available from www.lakedistrictbookfestival.co.uk from April 8th. Sign up to the newsletter and have a place on the inside track for earlybird tickets and other offers. A few headline talks are on sale now, including Rory Stewart in conversation with Matt Frei.