What's on
Author events, talks, readings, interactive experiences: bookish fun for everyone 24-30 October 2026!
Featured events
Have I Said Too Much: Iain Dale
7.30pm - 8.30pm : Octagon Chapel
Festival opening event: Adele Parks
11am - 12noon : The Auditorium
Frequently Happy: David Larbi
3pm - 4pm : The Auditorium
Fact vs Fiction: Louise Doughty & Jill Dawson
6.30pm - 7.30pm : The Enterprise Centre UEA
Greg Jenner & Rikin Parekh: Roman Britain Gets Totally Chaotic!
11am - 12.15pm : St Peter Mancroft
Draw with Rob
11am - 12noon : Norwich Theatre Playhouse
The Make-Believe: Hannah Murray
7.30pm - 8.30pm : Octagon Chapel
I Shop, Therefore I Am: Mary Portas
6pm - 7pm : Jarrolds
Rock Goes To College: Paul Sexton
7pm - 8pm : The Nick Rayns LCR, UEA
The wonderful world of Jacqueline Wilson
11am - 12noon : Norwich Theatre Playhouse
Harriet Tyce and Sophie Hannah: Traitors, Twists and Turns
7pm - 8pm : Octagon Chapel
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10am - 4pmSunflower Snug
An accessible, quiet space right in the centre of Norwich Book Festival.
ImaginariumFreeInteractive -
Times varySensory Storytelling with Natalya Martin
Relaxed, creative sessions for families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities. Led by specialist sensory practitioner Natalya Martin.
Children's EventFree -
11am - 12noonDraw with Rob
Join bestselling and multi award-winning author and illustrator Rob Biddulph, the creative star behind the viral and phenomenal #DrawWithRob videos for a fun packed event for all the family.
Children's EventFiction -
2pm - 3.30pmTOASTies: Kids’ poetry show featuring Attie Lime
A live interactive poetry experience designed especially for children.
Children's EventUnder £10 -
6pm - 7pmI Shop, Therefore I Am: Mary Portas
In this no-holds-barred account, Mary takes us behind the shop window – from behind-the-scenes fashion gossip to the early lessons that have shaped her career.
Non-fictionMemoir -
7pm - 8pm31 Inventions that Built Our World: Jonn Elledge
Find out how the world we live in was built with this fascinating tour of the ideas and technologies that shaped modernity.
History and heritageNon-fictionUnder £10 -
7.30pm - 8.30pmThe Make-Believe: Hannah Murray
From the actor in Skins and Games of Thrones, a deeply intimate, shockingly honest memoir about acting, fame, mental illness and the struggle to leave a cult-like organisation whose belief in magic shattered Hannah’s reality.
Politics & PeopleNon-fictionMemoirHow we live now -
10am - 4pmA Long Tail: Rebecca Atkinson and Kate Read
A magical tactile literacy story time experience based on the finger-trail picture book, A Long Tail.
Children's EventFreeInteractiveFiction -
11amNorwich: The City of Stories Walking Tour
Celebrate the writers who have lived in the city and those who have written about Norwich on this 2-hour walking tour.
FreePolitics & PeopleHistory and heritage -
11am - 12noonThe Heart of the Storm: Teresa Heapy and Kate Read
Discover the charming woodland world of The Heart of the Storm and learn how to create your own characters.
Children's EventUnder £10Fiction