Sathnam Sanghera - Tonight the Music Seems so Loud

George Michael wrote Last Christmas, one of the biggest hits of our age, in his childhood bedroom in about an hour, and with his best friend Andrew Ridgeley he founded Wham!, one of the defining bands of the 1980s.

As a solo artist, he would go on to collaborate with some of the greatest musicians of all time, and ten years after his tragic death on Christmas Day 2016, his legacy is still writ large across British culture.Sathnam Sanghera returns to LitFest in 2026 to talk about his new book, Tonight the Music Seems so Loud: The Meaning of George Michael, an in-depth portrait of one of Britains best-loved musicians, a songwriter whose talent was perhaps only fully acknowledged after his death.Guiding us through George Michaels complex personal story his music, life and legacy Sanghera explores issues of fame, sexuality, identity, immigration and belonging.

Tonight the Music Seems so Loud captures one of Britains greatest artists in all his glory.Sanghera is an award-winning author and journalist, whose books include Empireland, Stolen History, The Boy with the Topknot and Marriage Material.Sathnam Sanghera will be in conversation with writer and interviewer Rebecca Fletcher.