This year's line-up is announced as tickets are set to go on sale
Tickets go on sale on Friday (July 15) for the tenth annual Wimbledon Bookfest, bringing together the worlds of literature, the arts, politics, popular culture, film, sport and music to the Big Tent on Wimbledon Common.
Headliners include: Former Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg; multi-award winning novelist Kate Atkinson in her only UK event this year; Orange Prize winning author Rose Tremain; adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes; broadcasters Jeremy Paxman and Jenni Murray; politicians Sir Paddy Ashdown and Lord David Owen; entrepreneur Jo Malone; poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy; inspiring cookery writer Ella Woodward and ‘Outnumbered’ creator and debut novelist Andy Hamilton.
Events for children include Clare Balding and Michael Morpurgo, who will be talking about their love of animals, and, in celebration of Roald Dahl’s centenary, a special performance of James and the Giant Peach in Wimbledon Town Centre to launch the Festival.
Bestselling authors for schools events include: David Baddiel, Michelle Paver, Santa Montefiore and Caroline Lawrence.
Set on Wimbledon Common, close to Wimbledon Village, a specially commissioned Big Tent seating up to 500, and an intimate William Morris themed marquee, provide the focal point for the Festival, which runs from September 29-October 9.
Festival Director, Fiona Razvi said: "It’s amazing to think how far the festival has come in ten years. Wimbledon BookFest is a wonderful example of a community embracing the arts and working together to provide world class entertainment.
"This area has always had a strong tradition of the arts, but a festival creates a special energy and magic by groups working together that is incredibly exciting. This year we are especially proud to welcome a strong line up of female literary writers together with BookFest’s trademark mix of politics, history, sports and comedy."
Other events in the calendar include:
July 13, 2016