Henley Literary Festival Moves Online With Graham Norton, John Grisham, Nikita Gill and More

Henley Literary Festival moves online for the first time from this weekend, with speakers including John Grisham, Candice Brathwaite, Graham Norton, Joanna Trollope and Michael Morpurgo.

The Festival, which usually attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the Thames-side town, will instead be delivering over 40 book events to audiences wherever they are in the world from this Saturday (26 September) until 4 October, followed by a series of pop-up events in the following weeks.

One of the most-read writers in the world today, John Grisham has an exclusive UK event with A Time For Mercy, his much-anticipated follow-up to his breakthrough hit A Time To Kill. I Am Not Your Baby Mother author Candice Brathwaite joins fellow social media stars turned Sunday Times bestsellers Bryony Gordon and Florence Given, while Graham Norton makes a rare literary festival appearance in conversation with Emma Freud. Events for children include Sir Michael Morpurgo on War Horse, David Baddiel, Draw With Robrecord-breaking illustrator Rob Biddulph and a celebration of Judith Kerr with Russell Brand, Louise Roe and Leah Boleto.

Novelists Joanna Trollope, David Mitchell, Jodi Picoult, Paul Mendez and John Boyne are on the online line-up, alongside sports stars Damon Hill, James Herbert and James Haskell. Andrew Marr will discuss his new book on the individuals who have shaped modern Britain with Dame Katherine Grainger, while humorist Craig Brown will talk Beatles with former Home Secretary Alan Johnson. Other speakers include Countdown's Susie Dent, Oscar-winning songwriter Don Black, National Poetry Day Ambassador Nikita Gill, broadcaster Jeremy Vine and fashion expert Erica Davies.

Henley Literary Festival director Harriet Reed said: "We have been delighted by the response to this move online, which has been made possible by the support of our audiences, authors and supporters, most notably our headline sponsor Baillie Gifford."

All events will be available for ticketholders to watch for 48 hours after broadcast. The full programme of 40 events for adults and children is available on henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk.

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