Books & Literature in Cheltenham

Professor Brian Cox

Whether an avid science reader or a total novice, Professor Brian Cox Live will test the limits of our knowledge and make highly complex ideas accessible to all…

The Centaur, Cheltenham

Super popular

Victorian Book Group: Rites of Passage by Judith Flanders

Welcome to the book group with a historic twist! Revisit old favourites and discover forgotten classics in this monthly meet-up.

Holst Victorian House, Cheltenham

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An Audience with Nigel Mansell

The ultimate evening with Nigel Mansell, full of entertainment and will give you a full insight into his career.Nigel Mansell started racing in British Formula…

Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham

Free Activities for Adults

Packed with street food, pop-up performances, book signings, your favourite authors and more, our free-to-enter Festival Village in Montpellier Gardens is the p…

Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham

New

Thursday Book Group - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

This books a single place in our October Thursday book group at our Cheltenham store. The price of this ticket includes a copy of the book.

The Terrace, Cheltenham

Tuesday Book Group - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

This books a single place in our October Tuesday book group at our Cheltenham store. The price of this ticket includes a copy of the book.

The Terrace, Cheltenham

Victoria Hislop

Cheltenham favourite and bestselling author of The Island and The Figurine returns with her captivating new novel, The Wine-Dark Sea.

Cheltenham Literature Festival - Garden Theatre, Cheltenham

Ian Hislop: 40 Years On

In 2026, Ian Hislop marks an extraordinary 40 years as editor or Private Eye, the UK’s most successful satirical publication.

Cheltenham Literature Festival - The Times and Sunday Times Forum, Cheltenham

Robert Harris

Robert Harris, author of the Cicero trilogy, returns to ancient Rome. Julius Caesar has been murdered, changing the lives of two teenage boys forever.

Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham

Frozen Frontiers

What drives people to risk everything in the pursuit of exploration? Giles Milton and Ed Armston-Sheret revisit two extraordinary polar expeditions born of Brit…

Cheltenham Literature Festival - The Hive, Cheltenham

New

Totem: The Untold Story of a Sculpture

40,000 years of human creativity, carved into stone, bone and bronze, shape the story of sculpture.

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

Memoirs of Becoming

Actor Hannah Murray, acclaimed for her roles in Skins and Game of Thrones, has written one of the year's most talked-about memoirs.

Cheltenham Literature Festival - Garden Theatre, Cheltenham

New

Gulliver's Travels: 300 Years On

Join David Womersley, editor of the new Cambridge Anniversary Edition, and Hester Grant whose The Twitnam Summer brilliantly evokes the Georgian England of 1726…

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

Frozen Frontiers

Three brothers, Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean, made headlines last year when they arrived in Australia wild-haired and euphoric after breaking the world recor…

Cheltenham Literature Festival - Garden Theatre, Cheltenham

Meg Mason: Inklings Book Club

Jack Edwards, the internet's resident librarian, talks to Meg Mason about her achingly tender new novel for a live version of the Inklings Book Club podcast.

Cheltenham Literature Festival - Garden Theatre, Cheltenham

Challenging Inequalities

Paul Johnson, former director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and barrister and author Hashi Mohamed come together for an accessible and thought-provoking…

Cheltenham Literature Festival - The Hive, Cheltenham

New

Middle Aged Women Get Sh*t Done

Stand-up comic and Radio 4 regular Lucy Porter joins comedian Shirley Halse for a gloriously irreverent night celebrating the women holding everything together.…

Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham

New

Agatha Christie: Queen of Crime

Fifty years after her death, Agatha Christie remains the undisputed queen of crime; her detectives, plots and ingenious twists still setting the standard for my…

Cheltenham Literature Festival - The Times and Sunday Times Forum, Cheltenham

Lionel Shriver

Known for her sharp wit and bold exploration of complex issues, the acclaimed author of We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver, introduces her latest novel…

Cheltenham Literature Festival - The Hive, Cheltenham

Challenging Inequalities

From stories and histories to identities and ways of understanding the world, we lose more than words when a language disappears.

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

Jan Morris: Voice of a Restless Century

"She was the twentieth century. Who wouldn’t want to write her biography?" Acclaimed travel writer Sara Wheeler explores the remarkable life of Jan Morris - jou…

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

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Bloody Dangerous

In conversation with historian James Holland, former RAF pilot Colin Bell reflects on his experiences during the Second World War.

Cheltenham Literature Festival - Garden Theatre, Cheltenham

Patrick Radden Keefe: The Sunday Times Must Reads

The acclaimed author of Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe, introduces London Falling, a stunning story of corruption and tragedy at the heart of the capital.…

Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham

New

How to Save a Language

From stories and histories to identities and ways of understanding the world, we lose more than words when a language disappears.

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

Sir, The Year in Letters

Join The Times Letters Editor Andrew Riley as he presents his favourite letters from 2026 in conversation with Julia Wheeler.

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

Deep Into the Sixties

Historian David Kynaston and broadcaster Samira Ahmed take us back to the heart of the Swinging Sixties: the Beatles and the Stones vie for the top of the chart…

Cheltenham Literature Festival - Garden Theatre, Cheltenham

The Times Debate: Brexit: Triumph or Tragedy

Has the Brexit campaign delivered on its promises to the British people, or permanently damaged our prospects?

Cheltenham Literature Festival - The Times and Sunday Times Forum, Cheltenham

New

How to Agree to Disagree

No matter how much we try to avoid it, disagreement is unescapable. But how do we manage it?

Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham

Rising Tides

How do we stay afloat as the water is rising? In conversation with Rosie Goldsmith, Amy Lilwall and Eva Meijer imagine a near-future with the countries on the b…

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

New

Maggie Aderin: A Journey to the Beginning of Time

Can the James Webb Space Telescope really see the past? Join Maggie Aderin, one of Britain’s most inspiring space scientists, as she takes us on a journey throu…

Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham

The Year in Books

Not sure what to read next? Let our panel of professional bookworms help you out. Join The Times and The Sunday Times Literary Editors Robbie Millen, Laura Hack…

Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham

New

What Makes Britain British?

What does it mean to be British? In conversation with the broadcaster and author Hashi Mohamed, the Former Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt and historian Helene…

Cheltenham Literature Festival - Garden Theatre, Cheltenham

Maggie O'Farrell

Maggie O'Farrell, bestselling author of Hamnet, introduces her latest novel of upheaval and loss.

Cheltenham Literature Festival - The Times and Sunday Times Forum, Cheltenham

Madeline Cash and Stacey Yu: New Voices

Madeline Cash's Lost Lambs is a riotous portrait of the perverse pleasures and perils of our most intimate reality: family.

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

New

Drowning Valleys, Haunted Hills

Clare Clark and Liam Higginson discuss powerful stories about a lost way of life and the terrifying lengths we go to protect what we know.

Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham

Evan Gershkovich

Join Rebecca Jones and Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter whose arrest in Russia led to an international outcry, for a rare and powerful convers…

Cheltenham Literature Festival - The Times and Sunday Times Forum, Cheltenham

New

The Booker Prize Shortlist

The Booker Prize is the world’s most significant award for a single work of fiction.

Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham

The Year in Books

Join us for breakfast at The Nook on Five, Cheltenham’s rooftop restaurant overlooking Imperial Square and the Cotswold skyline.

The Nook On Five, Cheltenham

The Great Dictator

Writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet joins The Times Literary Editor Robbie Millen for a richly entertaining conversation about the queen of romantic fiction, B…

Cheltenham Literature Festival - Garden Theatre, Cheltenham

Cheltenham Bookshop Crawl

Our sell-out Bookshop Crawl returns. Meet fellow book lovers on a guided tour of the town’s literary scene discovering unique finds, indie bookshops and second-…

Imperial Gardens, Cheltenham

New

The Earth Transformed

Bestselling historian Peter Frankopan (The Silk Roads) uncovers the extreme forces that have shaped our world.

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

Frida Kahlo

Artist. Activist. Feminist. Icon. Frida Kahlo is one of the most influential cultural figures of all time.

Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham

The Art Cure

Can art help us live longer? From poetry to pop concerts and galleries to graffiti, scientist Daisy Fancourt and Art Fund Director Jenny Waldman explore the rem…

Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham

Illustrating Harry Potter

Illustrator Levi Pinfold brings to life Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts. Explore his creative process, from absorbing the story, through early sketches to…

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham

Ultimate Autumn Style

Keeping up with ever-changing fashion trends can feel like a full-time job for both your budget and your wardrobe.

The Queens Hotel, Cheltenham

Alexander McCall Smith

Bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith discusses the latest in his perennially adored No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street series.

Cheltenham Literature Festival - Garden Theatre, Cheltenham

Secrets and Lies

A haunting thriller inspired by real events and a gripping murder shaped by ruthless ambition.

Cheltenham Literature Festival - The Hive, Cheltenham

New

The Times Live

Join The Times Letters Editor Andrew Riley as he presents his favourite letters from 2026 in conversation with Julia Wheeler.

The Pillar Room, Cheltenham