Internationally acclaimed writers and public figures will gather in the borough this spring for the third Ealing Book Festival.
The festival will run from 29 April to 3 May 2026 across the University of West London, Questors Theatre and Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery. Organisers say the programme will feature bestselling authors, cultural commentators, family events and a showcase of local talent. Tickets are now on sale.
Among those scheduled to appear are William Boyd, Jung Chang, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Macfarlane and Blake Morrison, alongside figures including Andrew Graham-Dixon, Simon Jenkins, Alan Johnson, Mary Portas, John Robb and Naz Shah. Emerging writers Oyinkan Braithwaite and Lucy Steeds are also due to take part.
Chang, an alumna of the University of West London, will open the public programme on 29 April, speaking about her forthcoming novel. Other events include Boyd discussing his latest book The Predicament, Horowitz reflecting on his long-running Inspector Hawthorne series, and Macfarlane exploring themes from his new work Is a River Alive?.
A schools performance on 23 April will launch the festival. The event marks the culmination of a new oracy initiative led by the poet Alain ‘Fusion’ Clapham, involving pupils from five Ealing primary schools.
Family events will include a session with siblings Stephen and Anita Mangan, while the festival will also host a Local Authors’ Showcase and guided walking tours led by local historians.
Catherine Jaquiss, chair of the festival, said: “The 2026 Ealing Book Festival promises one of our most exciting programmes yet, with a truly inspiring line-up of significant and well-known authors.”
