Dorchester Literary Festival - 17th October
Sat 17 Oct
|Dorford Centre
17-24 October
Time & Location
17 Oct 2026, 09:00 – 24 Oct 2026, 17:00
Dorford Centre, Dorchester Baptist Church, 2 Bridport Rd, Dorchester DT1 1RR, UK
About the event
Readers are invited to save the date for the 13th Dorchester Literary Festival, taking place from 17–24 October 2026.
The festival has unveiled an exciting and diverse programme, bringing together some of the UK’s most celebrated writers, broadcasters, historians, politicians and performers for a week of inspiring conversations, talks and events.
Covering subjects including history, memoir, politics, fiction, nature, health, fashion, adventure, poetry and wild swimming, the 2026 Festival promises something for every interest and age group, further cementing its reputation as one of the South West’s leading literary events.
Headline guests announced so far include Alison Steadman, Jung Chang, Julian Fellowes, Victoria Hislop, Andrew Lownie, Jeremy Hunt, Sir Anthony Seldon, Vassos Alexander, Simon Jenkins, Alexandra Shulman and Kathy Lette.
Further details, including the full programme and ticket information is available from festival website at www.dorchesterliteraryfestival.com. Tickets will go on sale on Monday 31 August 2026.