Books & Literature in Cowes

Edward Abel Smith - a Hateful Decision

Edward Abel Smith tells the full story of the British attack on the French Navy at Mers el Kebir on 1 July 1940.

Northwood House, Cowes

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - High Fibre Heroes

Soaring rates of obesity and illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease are caused by the lack of fibre in our diets.

Northwood House, Cowes

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - High Fibre Heroes

Soaring rates of obesity and illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease are caused by the lack of fibre in our diets.

St Mary The Virgin Church, Cowes

New

Robert Winder - Three Rivers

Journey along the Rhine, the Rhone and the Po with acclaimed historian Robert Winder to discover how these three rivers, which course down from a single patch o…

Northwood House, Cowes

Fizz Quiz

Enjoy the hospitality and ambiance of the Island Sailing Club while pitting your literary and general knowledge against other Festival goers at the popular Fizz…

Island Sailing Club, Cowes

Megan Jacobs - From Dinosaurs to Ancient Seas: Unearthing the Island's 130-Million-Year Story

The Isle of Wight is Britain's dinosaur capital - a landscape where cliffs and beaches reveal a lost world beneath our feet.

Northwood House, Cowes

Alison Weir - the Boleyn Secret

In The Boleyn Secret, Alison Weir has excavated, from the Tudor records, the unsung story of a remarkable woman who had a ring-side seat to some of the most pre…

Northwood House, Cowes

A N Wilson - the Wise and Their Works

The Wise and Their Works is a lavishly illustrated in-depth celebration of the marvel that was The Great Exhibition of 1851, and the people who inspired it by r…

Northwood House, Cowes

Hugo Burnand - Crowns, Cameras and Coronations - the Day Britain Changed Reigns

In May 2023, Hugo Burnand was given the extraordinary task of photographing the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

Northwood House, Cowes

Tim Wonnacott - a Life of Antiques, Auctions and TV

A 25-year career with Sotheby's conducting auction sales throughout the United Kingdom, North America, and such far flung places as India, and a stint in TV tha…

Northwood House, Cowes

Robert Hardman - Elizabeth II - in Private. In Public. The Inside Story

Bestselling biographer and royal commentator Robert Hardman has had unique access to the world of Elizabeth II - including family, staff, advisors and even the…

Northwood House, Cowes

Jill Dougherty - Writing in a Time of War

War, and the threat of war, plagued our world - from Ukraine, to the Mideast, to the South China Sea. We live in an age of insecurity.

Northwood House, Cowes

Author! Author!

Return of the popular Write On Wight event, Author! Author! Local authors share their publication in a two-minute elevator pitch, Don't miss this fast, furious,…

Northwood House, Cowes

Julian Godolphin and Karen Phillipps - Get Thorpe

A lawyer and professional lobbyist, Julian Godolphin, and Karen Phillipps, legal adviser, mediator, barrister and confidant of George Carman QC, one of Britain'…

Northwood House, Cowes

Penny Junor - Inside the Royal Family - Penny Junor in Conversation With Val Hudson

From the early days of Charles and Diana's marriage to the current turmoil of Andrew's exile from the royal family and Harry's continued estrangement from his b…

Northwood House, Cowes

Maggie Sawkins & Joanna Kori - Writers'residencies: a Collaboration

As current Poet in Residence at Art-House-Life based in Osborne House Stable Block, Maggie Sawkins will present work inspired by her collaboration to date with…

Northwood House, Cowes

Jean G-Owen - the Figlet

Jean G-Owen of Naked Figleaf Press is delighted to launch The Figlet Issue Six at Write On Wight, Isle of Wight Literary Festival.

Northwood House, Cowes

Peter Hore - No Uncertain Sound: the Life and Times of Admiral Sir Jock Slater

Admiral Sir Jock Slater was an outstanding First Sea Lord, by far the best holder of the post in the past 25 years and should have been Chief of Defence Staff.

Northwood House, Cowes

Kit Kemp - Design Stories

A global icon in the world of interior designs, Kit Kemp is known for her distinctive design style that effortlessly combines vibrant colours and eclectic patte…

Northwood House, Cowes

Some Enchanted Evening: a Celebration of Rodgers and Hammerstein and More!

Prepare to be swept away by an unforgettable soiree of glorious melody as acclaimed baritone Mike Christie joins forces with pianist Jonathan Hodgson for a sump…

Northwood House, Cowes

Jon Woolcott - the Tattooed Hills

Writer and publisher Jon Woolcott investigates Britain's chalklands, uncovering the stories, symbolism and shifting meanings of the mysterious figures carved in…

Northwood House, Cowes

Miranda Gore Browne - Simply Miranda

A finalist in the first series of the Great British Bake Off, Miranda Gore Brown, is on a mission to get everyone baking and regardless of the results, whether…

Northwood House, Cowes

Ann Cleeves - the Dying Light

Master storyteller Ann Cleeves adds another title, The Dying Light, to the Detective Matthew Venn series.

Cowes Enterprise College, Cowes

Field Marshal the Lord David Richards - Global Wars & Chaos How Did We Get Here ... Solution?

We live in a very unstable era. What's gone wrong and where do solutions lie? Field Marshal the Lord David Richards, an ex-Army commando and proud Gunner who le…

Northwood House, Cowes

Ann Cleeves - the Woodyard Murder

When a yoga teacher is murdered in The Woodyard, the community arts' centre run by Inspector Matthew Venn's husband Jonathan, everybody is shocked.

St Mary The Virgin Church, Cowes

Tim Lang - Feeding People in An Era of Food Shocks

The post World War 2 vision for food was simple. Grow more. Make it cheaper. Industrialise food supply. Then quantities would rise. Prices would drop.

Northwood House, Cowes

Michael Gray - Which Bob Dylan Came to the Isle of Wight?

Bob Dylan was still in his twenties when he spurned Woodstock in 1969 and came instead to the second Isle of Wight Festival that August.

Northwood House, Cowes

Clare Balding - Pastures New

Join legendary broadcaster and award-winning author Clare Balding to discuss her extraordinary life and career as Harper Collins publishes her debut novel Pastu…

Cowes Enterprise College, Cowes

Sophie Raworth - Running on Air

From the BBC news to the 150-mile Marathon des Sables across the Sahara, Sophie Raworth shares her inspiring story of how she found her feet through running.

Cowes Enterprise College, Cowes

Celia Imrie - the Elegant Hustler: Adventures From a Life on the Move

Jump on board with Celia Imrie as she journeys back in time and shares the most memorable adventures of her life, riding ocean waves and iconic railways around…

Cowes Enterprise College, Cowes

Eric Lanlard - Chocolat

Internationally renowned chef, Eric Lanlard, demonstrates how to make a raspberry and chocolate tart.

Northwood House, Cowes

Amanda Barrie in Conversation With Hilary Bonner

Amanda Barrie is in conversation with Hilary Bonner, the co-author of I'm Still Here - My 90 Years.

Northwood House, Cowes

Chris Galvin - Seasonal Cooking

Chris Galvin joins the Isle of Wight Literary Festival to demonstrate a beautiful dish of daube of venison with quince and chestnuts, taken from the Galvin brot…

Northwood House, Cowes

Larry Lamb - Discover the Real Larry Lamb

Best known as the ever-patient Mick Shipman from Gavin & Stacey, Larry Lamb has built a career far bigger than Barry Island.

Northwood House, Cowes

Iain Dale - Have I Said Too Much?

Award-winning broadcaster Iain Dale has led a life full of incident and success but also some very public failures.

Northwood House, Cowes

Stephen Sackur - Hard Truth

Drawing on his long and distinguished reporting career, Stephen Sackur mounts a passionate case for truth-telling in the face of authoritarian political power,…

Northwood House, Cowes

Geoffrey Robertson - World of War Crimes: Eyeless in Gaza... And Beyond

Every day we are exposed to evidence of thousands of war crimes. The evidence proves guilt beyond reasonable doubt, but few, if any, prosecutions.

Northwood House, Cowes

Hugo Burnand - An Audience With the King's Photographer

In this lively and interactive Q&A session, the audience takes the lead. Guests choose questions from the screen in a game-show style format, prompting Hugo Bur…

Northwood House, Cowes

Lily Blacksell - Life Immediately: Poetry and Conversation With Lily Blacksell

Join Lily Blacksell for readings and conversation focused on her debut poetry collection Life Immediately ('full of fun' - Sunday Times).Lily is a writer and ev…

Northwood House, Cowes

Mary Portas - I Shop, Therefore I am

Mary Portas takes us back to the 1990s: Britpop is dominating the charts, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell are on the cover of every glossy magazine and British fas…

Cowes Enterprise College, Cowes

New

Snakes and Ladders: Helpful Tips From Experts on Finding An Audience for Your Writing

Are you working on a novel, a non-fiction book or planning to publish a collection of poetry?

Northwood House, Cowes

Andrew Turvil - Blood, Sweat and Asparagus Spears

In the same decade that Britpop reinvigorated music and comedians became as big as rock stars, the 1990s heralded a gloriously full-flavoured food and drink rev…

Northwood House, Cowes

Mary Portas - I Shop, Therefore I Am

Mary Portas takes us back to the 1990s: Britpop is dominating the charts, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell are on the cover of every glossy magazine and British fas…

Northwood House, Cowes

Clive Tyldesley OBE - a Game of Two Halves

Award-winning Television Football Commentator Clive Tyldesley playfully explores the changing use of words in contemporary writing and broadcasting.

Northwood House, Cowes

Ben Robinson - Coastline ~ An Exploration of Britain's Coastal Heritage

British archaeologist and TV presenter Ben Robinson explains how from prehistory to the modern era, our coastline has shaped Britain, not only physically but so…

Northwood House, Cowes

Nicholas Courtney - Gale Force 10

Few who hear the shipping forecast, with its familiar sequence of numbers denoting the expected force of the wind, know what lies behind the man who gave the wo…

Northwood House, Cowes

Mark Stuckey - Bright Spark

Mark Stuckey has repaired hundreds of items and countless broken hearts as the mechanical maestro of the BBC's popular factual entertainment show, The Repair Sh…

Northwood House, Cowes