Cambridge Literary Festival

Photo: Steve Ullathorne

A Winter Festival full of Prizes and Surprises

Helen Lederer

Cambridge Literary Festival are delighted to announce the line-up for their online Winter Festival and for the first time will this year be partnering with London Review Bookshop for online book sales.

With 40 events set to run over November 19th-29th, to include a free family day on Sunday 29th November, there really is something for everyone.

Their vibrant and varied programme includes household names such as comedian David Mitchell, celebrated artist Maggi Hambling, novelist and journalist Matt Haig, former Children’s Laureate Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Morpurgo, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, environmentalist Jonathan Porritt, plus comedian and founder of the Comedy Women in Print Prize Helen Lederer.

Climate and Nature are high on the agenda. There is a major panel discussion on halting climate change with Dieter Helem, Jonathan Porritt and Caroline Lucas MP; sixteen-yearold Dara McNulty hailed as a bright new voice in naturalism, winner of the Wainwright Prize and shortlisted for the Baillie

David Mitchell

Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, will be chatting to festival patron Robert Macfarlane. Helen Macdonald brings her thoughts on life after H is for Hawk and her new book of essays Vesper Flights. Professor Sarah Churchwell, broadcaster and novelist Attica Locke will reflect on the outcome of the US Presidential Election and examine what it means for us all. Plus, there is spoken word poetry from Jay Bernard and Raymond Antrobus, and music and conversation from the Kanneh-Mason family, the lockdown sensation featured in the BBC series Imagine.

This is also a festival of prizes. CLF will host the six shortlisted writers for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non- Fiction, the winner announced shortly after the festival; UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage will delight with some poetry and talk about the inaugural Laurel Prize which rewards the best collection of environmental or nature poetry as well as introduce us to its first ever winner; In partnership with media partner New Statesman we will welcome the winner of this year’s Goldsmith’s Prize which rewards ‘fiction at its most novel’.